Bridge Magazine 2015.02


new books from

Master Point Press
the bridge publisher
Winning Duplicate Tactics

David Bird
Duplicate bridge is a different game. It’s true that you can get by if you
play exactly the same way as you would in a home social game or a team
match. To be successful at duplicate pairs, you must adjust your bidding.
This is a book that every novice bridge player needs to read before that
first pairs game at their local club.
Bidding at Bridge: A Quizbook

Barbara Seagram and David Bird
Bidding at Bridge: A Quizbook gives the near-beginner a chance to practice

the principles on which sound bidding is based, from the opening bid
onward. Each section contains problems, a brief introduction to its
topic, and the ideas are reinforced with carefully explained solutions
and helpful tips throughout. Bridge teachers and students will find this
book invaluable.
Imaginative Cardplay and Accurate Cardplay

Terence Reese and Roger Trézel
In the 1970s, two of the best bridge writers of all time collaborated on a series of eight small
books on aspects of card play at bridge. These books have long been out of print, and are
being republished now in two combined volumes, edited and updated by BRIDGE magazine
editor Mark Horton.
Imaginative Cardplay includes: Master the Odds

in Bridge; Snares and Swindles in Bridge; Those
Extra Chances in Bridge; The Art of Defense in
Bridge.
Accurate Cardplay includes: Safety Plays in

Bridge; Blocking and Unblocking Plays in Bridge;
Elimination Play in Bridge; When to Duck and
When to Win in Bridge.
2 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine


Camrose Trophy
Although they won three of their five matches
BRIDGE
MAGAZINE
losses to Wales and the Republic of Ireland left
England well behind the leaders at the end of
the first weekend.
http://www.camrosebridge.com/results.php
Read Mark Learn

The EBU has announced that thanks to the efforts of Gordon
Bickley the EBU library has been fully catalogued.
The books and magazines are available for members to read at
EBU headquarters in Aylesbury. For more information, and the
complete listing, go to:
44 BAKER STREET http://www.ebu.co.uk/documents/official-documents/EBU-lib.pdf
LONDON W1U 7RT
Tel: 020-7486 8222
Fax: 020-7486 3355
Fortune & Glory
email: info@bridgeshop.com Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s decision to shift his ‘media
http://www.bridgeshop.com
diet towards reading books’ with the launch of a Facebook read-
Editor:
Mark Horton ing group had a seismic effect on the sales of the first title chosen
Assistant Editors: for consideration.
Sandra Landy
Neil Rosen Bridge writers everywhere are hoping he might choose a bridge
Christina Lund Madsen book next!
Advertising:
Matthew Read
Photographer:
The Learning Curve
Ron Tacchi English Bridge Education and Development (EBED) began oper-
Proofreaders:
Danny Roth ations as a newly formed charity in April 2014.
Monica Kummel
Typesetter:
It has has two public benefit objectives: the furtherance of bridge
Ron Tacchi as an activity which enriches the life of all, and secondly a spe-
BRIDGE Magazine is published cific aim to foster bridge among those in full-time education. You
monthly.
will fund a wealth of information at: http://www.ebedcio.org.uk/
Online Subscriptions:
1 year: £19.95
Individual Issue: Although EBED has the support of the EBU it is predominantly reli-
£2.00 ant on donations and it has just been announced that the owners of
Distributors
CHESS & BRIDGE LTD. the South Bucks Bridge Center have generously donated their shares
44 Baker Street
London W1U 7RT U.K. in SBBC Ltd to the (EBED) who have pledged to continue the
Views expressed in this publication are not Club’s tradition as a first-rate centre for playing and learning bridge.
necessarily those of the Editor. Editorial
contributions will be published at the
Editor’s discretion and may be shortened Owners Laurie Champniss and family believe that the donation
if space is limited.
No parts of this publication may be is the best way to secure the future of the club.
reproduced without the prior express
permission of the publishers. All rights
reserved. 2015 It affords EBED the opportunity to undertake some of its teaching
and promotional activities. This will not only be of great benefit to
bridge in England, but also specifically to members of the SBBC
and players – or potential players – in the local area.
For further info go to: http://www.southbucksbridgecentre.co.uk/


Top of the World
Following the World Championships in Sanya the WBF Women’s rankings look like this:
WBF Women’s Ranking (by MPs)
Rank Name NBO MPs PPs Title
1 Nicola Smith England 3244 48.5 WGM
2 Sally Brock England 3191 38 WGM
3 Hongli Wang China 3156 41.5 WGM
4 Sylvie Willard France 3124 36.5 WGM
5 Wen Fei Wang China 3113 39.5 WGM
6 Bénédicte Cronier France 2832 31 WGM
7 Janice Seamon-Molson U.S.A. 2794 32.5 WGM
8 Carla Arnolds Netherlands 2776 27.5 WGM
9 Catherine D’Ovidio France 2735 39 WGM
10 Lynn Deas U.S.A. 2678 42 WGM
11 Jet Pasman Netherlands 2657 26 WGM
12 Anneke Simons Netherlands 2652 26 WGM
13 Jill Levin U.S.A. 2561 36 WGM
14 Heather Dhondy England 2557 24.5 WGM
15 Kerri Sanborn U.S.A. 2551 43.5 WGM
16 Victoria Gromova Russia 2544 20 WGM
17 Jill Meyers U.S.A. 2529 49 WGM
18 Marion Michielsen Netherlands 2457 17 WGM
19 Tatiana Ponomareva Russia 2373 20 WGM
20 Sabine Auken Germany 2259 44 WGM
There are no English players in the top twenty in the Open Ranking List
WBF Open Ranking ( by MPs )
Rank Name NBO MPs PPs Title
1 Fulvio Fantoni Monaco 5186 48.5 WGM
2 Claudio Nunes Monaco 5050 46.5 WGM
3 Alfredo Versace Italy 3886 51 WGM
4 Giorgio Duboin Italy 3825 45 WGM
5 Lorenzo Lauria Italy 3635 55.5 WGM
6 Tor Helness Monaco 3536 43.5 WGM
7 Zia Mahmood U.S.A. 3485 36.25 WGM
8 Jeff Meckstroth U.S.A. 3400 62.25 WGM
9 Norberto Bocchi Italy 3286 39 WGM
10 Geir Helgemo Monaco 3088 38 WGM
11 Franck Multon Monaco 3069 28.5 WGM
12 Eric Rodwell U.S.A. 3015 60.75 WGM
13 Pierre Zimmermann Monaco 2882 18.5 WGM
14 Jacek Pszczola U.S.A. 2849 20 WGM
15 Sjoert Brink Netherlands 2750 16.5 WGM
16 Bob Hamman U.S.A. 2613 109.25 WGM
17 Andrei Gromov Russia 2530 9.5 WLM
18 Cezary Balicki Poland 2494 31 WGM
19 Frank (Nick) Nickell U.S.A. 2483 38.25 WGM
20 Bobby Levin U.S.A. 2480 22 WGM


The Senior rankings are dominated by some of Poland’s Bridge Magicians but two of England’s
stars are in the top twenty.
WBF Seniors Ranking ( by SPs )
Rank Name NBO SPs Title
1 Julian Klukowski Poland 2129 SGM
2 Victor Markowicz Poland 1961 SGM
3 Jacek Romanski Poland 1863 SGM
4 Jerzy Russyan Poland 1836 SIM
5 Apolinary Kowalski Poland 1779 SGM
6 Henky Lasut Indonesia 1404 SGM
7 Eddy M F Mannoppo Indonesia 1404 SGM
8 Reese Milner U.S.A. 1380 SGM
9 Garey Hayden U.S.A. 1368 SGM
10 Neil Chambers U.S.A. 1355 SGM
11 John Schermer U.S.A. 1355 SGM
12 Paul D Hackett England 1321 SGM
13 John Holland England 1302 SGM
14 François Leenhardt France 1198 SGM
15 Philippe Poizat France 1192 SGM
16 Guy Lasserre France 1192 SGM
17 Mike Passell U.S.A. 1163 SGM
18 Patrick Grenthe France 1124 SGM
19 Philippe Vanhoutte France 1124 SGM
20 Krzysztof Lasocki Poland 1115 SIM
In This Issue
I 6 Problem Corner— Ron Tacchi & Patrick Jourdain. I 76 The Abbot’s Extended Vacation — David Bird
GI 7 World Bridge Championships Sanya— The I 83 Partnership Profile — Mark Horton
editor completes his report on the Red Bull GI 92 Misjudging a Sacrifice — An extract from David
Championships. Bird’s latest book, ‘52 Bridge Mistakes to Avoid’
I 69 Test Your Defence — Julian Pottage I 98 Solution to Test Your Defence
O 70 Jean-Claude Beineix — an obituary by Jean-Paul I 100 Marks & Comments — Alan Mould
Meyer
I 72 Great Hands From The Past — Richard Fleet
GI 75 This Month’s Video Page

 Intermediate
Ron Tacchi and
Solution to prize problem 299
Patrick Jourdain’s Count, Count, Count
Problem ♠ K 10 9 8 6 3 2
♥ Q83
♦ 6 W
N
E
♠ AQ 7 4
♥ A9 7 5 4 2
♦ K2
Corner ♣ A2
West North
S
East
♣9
South
sponsored by – – 1♥ 2NT*
THE ORION PUBLISHING GROUP 3♠ 4♣ 4NT* 5♣
Master Bridge Series 5♠* Pass 6♠ All Pass
2NT Minors
North leads the jack of clubs. Plan your play.
Prize Problem 300
To succeed you must first realise that there is no distri-
bution of the heart suit that allows you to establish it
♠ A N ♠ J 10 6 4
♥ A Q 10 8 7 ♥ K964 without losing a trick. Thus you must find a distribu-
♦ K 10 8 6 W E ♦ A2 tion that will allow you to squeeze someone without
♣ AJ 9 S ♣ 10 4 3 rectifying the count. That person can only be South as
he is the probable owner of the diamond ace (North
You open 1♥ and North overcalls 2♣. Partner boldly
may well have attempted to cash it if he had it) and if
bids 3♥ and after discovering that partner has two
that is the case he will have to be squeezed in the red
keycards you essay the small slam. North leads the
suits. For this to work North must have the singleton
king of clubs which South ungraciously ruffs and
king of hearts, so the distribution we are hoping for is
returns the nine of spades. After winning with your
ace you cross to the ace of diamonds on which North as follows:
drops the jack – please continue. Also tell me how ♠ J5
you would have played the hand if North had led the ♥ K
♦ Q9853
jack of diamonds.
♣ J 10 8 6 5
♠ K 10 9 8 6 3 2 N ♠ AQ 7 4
♥ Q83 ♥ A9 7 5 4 2
Email your answers to BMProb@vaupillon.com or send ♦ 6 W E ♦ K2
on a postcard to The Editor, Bridge Magazine, 44 Baker ♣ A2 S ♣9
Street, London, W1U 7RT. Entries must be received before ♠ —
28th February. The first correct solution out of the hat will ♥ J 10 6
receive £15 of BRIDGE Magazine book vouchers. ♦ A J 10 7 4
♣ KQ743
So we win the opening lead and ruff our other club
in dummy. We now run our trumps leaving (noting
This is Patrick’s 300th non-prize problem, though as you South is void, so only he can have three hearts) ♥A9
will see this statement is false. We are offering a special ♦K2 in dummy. What can poor South do? If he parts
prize of a signed copy of Patrick’s book (we couldn’t afford with a heart then we can cash three hearts, if he bares
the unsigned copy) for the best, but correct, answer to his his ♦A then we duck a round of diamonds establish-
problem. Please send your answer to PatrickProblem@ ing our king and we still have an entry to cash it with
vaupillon.com. the ♥A. Note that we must not cash the ♥A early on as
this destroys our entry position. We just have to assume
Non-Prize Problem See Next Month that our guess at the distribution is correct.
♠ K Q 10 2 N ♠ AJ 8 7 6 3
♥ K82 ♥ A6 4 Congratulations
♦ K8 W E ♦ J32
♣ 9863 S ♣4 Prize Problem 298.
At Teams scoring E/W Vulnerable, West Opens One A slightly smaller entry than usual saw Harald Bletz
Spade, North overcalls Two Clubs and East raises to emerge as the winner.
Four Spades. North kicks off with the ace and king
of clubs, South following with the jack and ten. How Look for Patrick Jourdain’s Problem Corner,
should West play? available from Chess & Bridge.

 General Interest
Sanya - World Bridge
Championships
The Editor continues his report on the 14th Red Bull World Bridge Series Championships in Sanya
Day 7
After the excitement of the Mixed Teams Final attention focused on the race for the Mixed Pairs title.
After a lengthy qualifying period lasting two days the field was divided into Semifinals A & B.
The majority of the qualifiers for the final would come from A, but the repechage system that
was in use meant that the top six pairs in B would also qualify.
House of Cards
House of Cards was a 1990 British political thriller television drama serial by the BBC, set after the
end of Margaret Thatcher’s tenure as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The two subsequent
episodes were To Play the King and The Final Cut, all three titles having obvious links to bridge.
Based on the three books written by Michael Dobbs the series proved so popular that the author
had to rewrite all three to bring them into line with the television series.
The drama introduced and popularised the phrase:’You might very well think that; I couldn’t
possibly comment.’ It was used by the main character, Francis Urquhart whenever he could not
be seen to agree with a question, with the emphasis on either the ‘I’ or the ‘possibly’ depending
on the situation. The phrase was even quoted in the House of Commons following the series.
Urquhart’s policy is to eliminate anyone who stands in the way of his political ambitions and
he is utterly ruthless in that regard.
You might argue that to succeed in the toughest of the bridge disciplines, match pointed pairs,
one must be totally ruthless.
Here are a few deals from Session 6 of the Mixed Pairs:
Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
♠ Q973
♥ A84
♦ 653
♣ 983
♠ A6 2 N ♠ K 10 5 4
♥ K 10 9 5 ♥ 62
♦ AQ 9 8 W E ♦ J 10 7 4 2
♣ 75 S ♣ A4
♠ J8
♥ QJ73
♦K
♣ K Q J 10 6 2
West North East South
Bertheau Weinstein Larsson Bjerkan
– – Pass 1♣
Double Pass 1♠ 2♣
Pass Pass 2♦ Pass
Pass 3♣ 3♦ All Pass

♠ Q973 When West doubled East made a typical match point
♥ A84 orientated response and then introduced her diamonds
♦ 653 on the next round.
♣ 983 Micke Melander was watching at the table and his
♠ A6 2 N ♠ K 10 5 4
♥ K 10 9 5 ♥ 62 report will give all the byplay.
♦ AQ 9 8 W E ♦ J 10 7 4 2 I’ll confine my observations to dealing with the inevi-
♣ 75 S ♣ A4 table question, ‘Why didn’t West bid Three Spades over
♠ J8 Three Diamonds?’
♥ QJ73 Well, you might very well think that; I couldn’t possibly
♦ K
♣ K Q J 10 6 2 comment.
Declarer was not tested in the play, recording +130
collecting 32 of the 52 match points that were available.
If West had bid Three Spades I suspect East would have made it by winning the club lead, play-
ing a diamond, cashing the ace of spades and ducking a spade to South’s jack. Two pairs recorded
+140 for 45/07 matchpoints.
Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
♠ K63
♥ J 10 9 3
♦ K94
♣ KJ4
♠ Q J 10 9 N ♠ A8 5 4 2
♥ 65 ♥ 87
♦ J8753 W E ♦ A Q 10 6 2
♣ 76 S ♣ 10
♠7
♥ AKQ42
♦—
♣ AQ98532
Senensky Gan Shnier He
– – – 1♥
Pass 3♦* Double 4♣
Pass 4♦ Pass 5♣
Pass 5♥ Pass 6♥
All Pass
Only five pairs failed to bid a slam on this deal. When West led the queen of spades the trick that
earned was worth 33/19 for E/W.
I can’t help but feel that it was poetic justice, for if South had opened One Club then North
would have responded One Heart, leaving East to guess which ace to lead against a slam.
Allowing the overtrick would have changed things completely, giving N/S 37/15.
Two pairs recorded +1770 (7♥ doubled).

Board 4. Dealer West. All Vul.
♠ Q62
♥ AKJ7
♦ 53
♣ A872
♠ AJ 7 N ♠ K94
♥ 9432 ♥ Q8
♦ Q4 W E ♦ K 10 9 8 7 6
♣ J 10 9 4 S ♣ Q5
♠ 10 8 5 3
♥ 10 6 5
♦ AJ2
♣ K63
Senensky Gan Shnier He
Pass 1♣ 1♦ Double*
2♦ Pass 3♦ All Pass
East’s initial overcall was impeccable, but on the next round the preemptive raise put E/W too
high. Declarer lost six tricks, and -200 was duplicated only once, leaving E/W with a solitary
match point.
Board 5. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
♠ 10 6 5 4
♥ 82
♦ QJ63
♣ Q83
♠ A9 8 3 2 N ♠Q
♥ J 10 3 ♥ K7654
♦ 85 W E ♦ A 10 7
♣ 975 S ♣ K 10 6 2
♠ KJ7
♥ AQ9
♦ K942
♣ AJ4
Gromov Pszczola Gromova Wortel
– Pass 1♥ 1NT
2♥ Double* Pass 2NT
All Pass
Double Takeout
West led the jack of hearts and declarer won with the queen and played on diamonds, East win-
ning the third round with the ace. The heart return was ducked to West’s jack and declarer won
the next heart, crossed to dummy with a diamond and played a spade. The appearance of East’s
queen meant that nine tricks were in the bag, +150, which was worth 36/16.
If South had jumped to 3NT (all the people I consulted selected that bid, expecting partner to
have a little more for his double) she would have improved her side’s score to 47/5.
You can replay these deals at: http://tinyurl.com/o5rwpnu

Day 8
When the last session of the final started it seemed that the gold medals would lie between Sanborn/
Zhao, Wortel/Pszczola, Wang/Zhang, Larsson/Bertheau, Auken/Welland & Gromov/Gromova.
The pair with the toughest assignment appeared to be Sanborn/Zhao, who still had to face
most of the leading pairs.
Before we take a look at the last session of the final here is an example of how to rake in the
matchpoints from the seventh of the ten sets:
♠ J86
♥ 10 6 4
♦ K54
♣ K 10 9 3
♠ 97 N ♠ AK 3 2
♥ AK Q 8 ♥9
♦ A8 6 3 W E ♦ J972
♣ Q87 S ♣ AJ 6 5
♠ Q 10 5 4
♥ J7532
♦ Q 10
♣ 42
Zhao Sanborn
– – Pass
1NT Pass 2♣* Pass
2♥ Pass 3NT All Pass
For my money North should lead a spade on this auction (and I am in no way influenced by the
fact that it is the only lead that should hold declarer to nine tricks). Zhao was favoured with a
club lead and ran it to his hand to play a low diamond. When North nervously put up the king,
declarer was in excellent shape. He won the spade switch, advanced the diamond jack, covered
all round, played the queen of clubs, covered by the king and ace and cashed two diamonds to
reach this position:
♠ J8
♥ 10 6
♦—
♣ 10 9
♠9 N ♠ A3 2
♥ AK Q 8 ♥9
♦— W E ♦—
♣7 S ♣ J6
♠ Q 10
♥ J753
♦—
♣—
The club jack squeezed a spade out of South, and three rounds of hearts then caught North in a
non-simultaneous double squeeze since he had sole guard of both black suits - even the two of
spades takes a trick sometimes. That gave E/W a complete top.

Board 15. Dealer South. All Vul.
♠ A86
♥ Q42
♦ Q J 10
♣ Q972
♠ 10 7 4 N ♠ 53
♥ K95 ♥ AJ 7
♦ A7 5 4 3 2 W E ♦ K8
♣K S ♣ J 10 8 6 4 3
♠ KQJ92
♥ 10 8 6 3
♦ 96
♣ A5
Bertheau Zhao Larsson Sanborn
– – – Pass
Pass 1♣ Pass 1♠
2♦ Pass Pass 2♥
Pass 2♠ All Pass
Peter Bertheau led the ace of diamonds for the ten, eight and six. Playing upside down count and
attitude signals he knew that his partner held at most one more diamond. After some thought he
gambled by shifting to the king of clubs; Sanborn won with the ace, cleared trumps, gave a trick
to the king of diamonds and could then claim eight tricks, which was worth 46/6 matchpoints.
If Bertheau had played a deceptive high diamond at trick two, Larsson could have won and
switched to a low club, to give declarer a losing option. Those N/S pairs who were -100 collected
only 14/38.
Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
♠ K864
♥ A 10 5
♦ AJ743
♣K
♠ J5 N ♠ 10 9 7 2
♥ J9742 ♥8
♦ 985 W E ♦ Q 10 6 2
♣ 984 S ♣ Q765
♠ AQ3
♥ KQ63
♦K
♣ A J 10 3 2
Bertheau Zhao Larsson Sanborn
Pass 1♦ Pass 2♣
Pass 2♦ Pass 2♥
Pass 2♠ Pass 2NT
Pass 3NT Pass 4NT
Pass 6NT All Pass

♠ K864 6NT is clearly an excellent contract with four tricks from
♥ A 10 5 clubs (a 71.86% chance) being enough to get declarer up
♦ AJ743 to the required number of tricks (and even if that doesn’t
♣ K
♠ J5 ♠ 10 9 7 2
work declarer has other strings to her bow).
N Bertheau lead the five of diamonds, which went to
♥ J9742 ♥ 8
♦ 985 W E ♦ Q 10 6 2 the three, two and king. Sanborn now played a club to
♣ 984 S ♣ Q765 the king, a heart to the king, and cashed the ace of clubs
♠ AQ3 and exited with the jack of clubs, claiming when both
♥ KQ63
♦ K
defenders followed.
♣ A J 10 3 2 N/S scored 34/18 and had eliminated one of their
most dangerous threats.
Board 17. Dealer North. None Vul.
♠ 94
♥ K 10 7 3
♦ AQ542
♣ 83
♠6 N ♠ K8753
♥ 8654 ♥ AQ J 9
♦ 63 W E ♦ K7
♣ Q97542 S ♣ A6
♠ A Q J 10 2
♥2
♦ J 10 9 8
♣ K J 10
Gromov Zhao Gromova Sanborn
– Pass 1♣* 1♠
Pass 2♦ Pass 3♦
All Pass
1♣ Polish (‘may be weak, may be strong’)
East led the ace of clubs and switched to a spade. Declarer finessed and took a diamond finesse,
letting Gromova win and give her partner a spade ruff. +110 scored 20/32. At most of the tables
where East had opened 1♠ and N/S played in diamonds, declarer tackled trumps after a spade
shift by playing ace and another, collecting +130 for 31/21.

♠ J3
♥ 9873
♦ KQ8
♣ KQ84
♠ 52 N ♠ Q64
♥ A Q 10 6 5 4 ♥ K2
♦ J3 W E ♦ 10 7 6 4 2
♣ 753 S ♣ A6 2
♠ A K 10 9 8 7
♥J
♦ A95
♣ J 10 9
Cichocki Zhao Hocheker Sanborn
– – – 1♠
Pass 1NT Pass 2♠
Pass 3♠ Pass 4♠
All Pass
In a world championship you might expect the field to play 4♠, making +450, but there will
always be the odd pair who fall by the wayside. In fact only 12 pairs out of 27 bid game and three
of them held themselves to ten tricks, perhaps panicking after the lead of the jack of diamonds
and cashing the top trumps. So +450 was worth a remarkable 40/52 for N/S.
Board 20. Dealer West. Both Vul.
♠ A 10 9 8
♥ 954
♦ Q82
♣ A74
♠ J6 N ♠ KQ7532
♥ KJ2 ♥ A8 7
♦ K975 W E ♦ J4
♣ Q J 10 3 S ♣ 85
♠4
♥ Q 10 6 3
♦ A 10 6 3
♣ K962
Cichocki Zhao Hocheker Sanborn
1♣ Pass 1♠ Pass
1NT Pass 4♠ All Pass
It is rarely a good idea for both halves of a partnership to throw caution to the wind. On this occa-
sion Cichocki’s standards for an opening bid were clearly not in accord with Hocheker, whose
decision to jump to game rather than to invite could best be described as sporting. The good
news was that the critical red-suit honors were both onside, the bad news was that trumps did

not behave and -200 was the inevitable result. That meant 49/52MP, just enough to get Sanborn/
Zhao over the magic 60% threshold, and what proved to be a win by nearly four tops.
Back in 1978 Kerri Shuman, playing with the legendary Barry Crane, won the World Mixed
Pairs by roughly five tops – now, as Kerri Sanborn a mere 36 years later she had won again with
Jie (Jack) Zhao, himself a World Pairs Championship winner in Verona in 2006.
Kerri said that Jack was the nicest mixed partner she had ever played with. They had first played
in Florida and had realised they had a similar approach to the game. Kerri is famous for wanting
to keep things simple but she said Jack had some excellent bidding wrinkles which they had added
on to a basic framework and that they had largely avoided misunderstandings in the auction.
Jack said that in case anyone was in doubt, Kerri had assumed the male role in the partnership!
Day 9
A new day, a new event – or in this case three new events, as the three team events, the Rosen-
blum (122 teams) the McConnell (26) and the Rand (22) got under way.
In the Rosenblum the teams played a Swiss, with the top 64 advancing to Semifinal A with the
remainder hoping to get into the knock out stages via Semifinal B, with 27 teams qualifying for
the knock out from group A and 5 from group B. In the other two events the teams would con-
test a complete round robin with eight teams going forward to the quarter finals.
With so many matches taking place it was a case for the reporters to hope that they might be
at the right table at the right time.
Tomorrow is Another Day

At the end of his second round match in the Rosenblum, Patrick Jourdain popped into the Bul-
letin Room to show me this deal:
♠ K 10 9 7
♥ 85
♦ 10 9 6
♣ J952
♠8 N ♠ AQ J 6 2
♥ AK 2 ♥ Q964
♦ Q52 W E ♦ AK
♣ K 10 8 7 6 3 S ♣ A4
♠ 543
♥ J 10 7 3
♦ J8743
♣Q
Patrick’s question was in two parts, first how to make Six Clubs, a question to which he soon spot-
ted the answer – declarer must reduce his trumps and then endplay North.
But the second part is harder and it took some time, even with the benefit of being able to see
all four hands, to arrive at the solution to arrive at the solution to make 6NT?
Declarer wins the diamond lead in hand perforce and cashes the ace of clubs. Treating the queen
as a true card declarer unblocks the diamonds, cashes the queen of hearts and plays off the red
winners. This is one of the possible endings:

♠ K 10 9
♥—
♦—
♣ J95
♠8 N ♠ AQ J 6 2
♥— ♥—
♦— W E ♦—
♣ K 10 8 7 6 S ♣4
♠ 543
♥J
♦ J8
♣—
Declarer takes a spade finesse and then exits with a club. North wins and can choose which hand
to surrender the last four tricks to.
If North keeps four spades and two clubs then after taking the spade finesse declarer exits with
a spade and again North has an unsavory choice.
Having just heard that a deal I had submitted for the IBPA’s annual declarer play award which
I regard as perhaps the best I have seen for the last 30 years (Phillip Alder described as a certainty
to win in the New York Times) I wondered if by some chance some superman or woman might
have managed to make 6NT.
In the Seniors 7/7 went down, in the Women’s 10/10. In the Open 25 declarer’s tried 6NT and
miracle of miracles one of them was successful.
It happened in the match between HKJ9 and Phoenix Legend.
Sensing a story I went to check the line ups. In my haste I assumed it was one of HKJ9’s Cheung
Lik and Fung Chi Pong who had performed the feat, but when I spoke with them it transpired
that it was one of their opponents, narrowing it down to one of Chi Feng, Hao Ge, Min Gong,
Da Sun or Zhen Shen Yong.
Eventually I discovered that the declarer, Zhen Shen Yong had been treated to the lead of the
three of hearts. He was able to run that round to the nine. That looks like a good start, but declar-
er’s communications are poor. He cashed the ace of clubs unblocked dummy’s hearts and took a
spade finesse. He cashed the queen of hearts and a diamond to reach this position:
♠ K 10 9
♥—
♦—
♣ J95
♠— N ♠ AJ 6 2
♥— ♥—
♦ Q5 W E ♦K
♣ K 10 8 7 S ♣4
♠ 54
♥—
♦ J874
♣—
When declarer cashed the king of diamonds North was caught. Discarding a spade would allow
declarer a choice of winning lines, either playing two rounds of spades or putting North on play
with a club, while pitching a club would leave declarer with the pleasant option of crossing to the
king of clubs and cashing the queen of diamonds which would force a spade discard, North then

being put in with a club to lead into the spade tenace, or of exiting with a low spade (if declarer
wants to be flash he can throw the queen of diamonds) and North can choose his poison.
Well done, but at the back of my mind something was nagging me.
♣K10876 3 ♣A4 – I have seen this combination before – then I remembered, in a Camrose
match many years ago between England and Wales Patrick Jourdain had had to tackle this suit
in a slam, and of course he made the technical play for 5 tricks by running the ten, his opponent,
Graham Kirby, following to the trick and saying ‘I think this is the card you are hoping to see’ as
he contributed the nine (this play gives you a 79.13% chance of losing only one trick).
So, after a heart lead has gifted a trick should declarer unblock the diamonds, cross to dummy
with a heart and run the ten of clubs?
Perhaps, but if South holds a doubleton honour he wins and plays a heart and the clubs are dead.
So, immediately after failing to receive an award I had an early entry for next year’s contest –
I’ll let you know what happens in Chennai.
PS. Exchange the seven and three of spades and now try to make 6NT.
Day 10
The schedule is demanding – today the women start play at 09.30 and don’t finish the last of their
nine matches until 21.05.
With most of the local restaurants starting to close around 22.00 there is always a rush once
play has finished.
At breakfast one multiple world champion observes that if matches were of 6 boards rather
than 7 you could perhaps shave 1½ hours from the daily schedule.
The Day after Tomorrow

The Day After Tomorrow is a 2004 American climate fiction-disaster film. The film depicts fictional
catastrophic climatic effects in a series of extreme weather events that usher in global cooling and
leads to a new ice age.
There was nothing extreme about the weather in Sanya at the 14th Red Bull World Bridge
Series Championships, but as the qualifying rounds of the team championships unfold you could
be sure that the temperature would rise.
These deals come from the Round 2 match in the McConnell between Pollack and China Red.
It took me so long to type them that their appearance coincides with my choice.

Board 9. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
♠ A 10 8
♥ AKJ
♦J
♣ K98432
♠ Q964 N ♠ 752
♥ 10 8 5 ♥ Q943
♦ 9752 W E ♦ A K Q 10 8
♣ Q6 S ♣5
♠ KJ3
♥ 762
♦ 643
♣ A J 10 7
Open Room
Pollack Zhang Bjerkan Wu
– 1♣* 1♦ Double*
2♦ Pass Pass Double
Pass 3♣ Pass 3♦
Pass 4♦ Pass 5♣
All Pass
1♣ Precision
Double Values
3♦ Asking for a stopper
East led the ace of diamonds for the three, seven and jack and continued with the queen. Declarer
ruffed, crossed to dummy with the ace of clubs, ruffed a diamond, drew the outstanding trump
and played three rounds of hearts. That was sure to endplay whoever won the trick, +400.
Closed Room
Rang Picus Wang Berkowitz
– 1♣ Double 2♣
Pass 3♣ All Pass
It’s hard to know what went wrong here. It reminds me of the occasion when a lady asked Ter-
ence Reese, ‘Mr Reese, how should I have bid that last hand?’ to which he replied ‘Differently’.
Declarer eliminated the diamonds as at the other table, but lost a spade to West and a heart to
East, +130 and 7 IMPs to China Red.

Board 10. Dealer East. All Vul.
♠ 10 9 8 5
♥ J95
♦ 10 9
♣ K987
♠Q N ♠ AJ 6 4 3 2
♥ A8 7 ♥ Q43
♦ AQ J 7 6 2 W E ♦ K8
♣ AQ J S ♣ 10 6
♠ K7
♥ K 10 6 2
♦ 543
♣ 5432
Open Room
– – 1♠ Pass
2♦* Pass 2♠ Pass
2NT Pass 3NT Pass
4NT All Pass
2♦ Game forcing
North led the seven of clubs and declarer won with the queen, ran the queen of spades to South’s
king, finessed on the club return, won the third club and cashed her winners, +460.
Closed Room
– – 1♠ Pass
2♦ Pass 2♠ Pass
2NT Pass 3♦ Pass
3♥ Pass 3NT Pass
4♦ Pass 4♠ Pass
4NT Pass 5♥ Pass
5NT Pass 6♦ All Pass
When I conferred with Barry Rigal he thought East might have done better to bid 3♠ over 3♥,
and then 5♦ over 4♦.
On this layout even Five Diamonds would have been hopeless. Declarer lost two spades and a
club, two down, -200 and 13 IMPs for Pollock.

Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.
♠ KQJ85
♥—
♦ A Q 10 5 2
♣ 10 7 6
♠3 N ♠ 9764
♥ J 10 8 7 6 3 ♥ KQ2
♦ 83 W E ♦ J6
♣ AQ 9 4 S ♣ 8532
♠ A 10 2
♥ A954
♦ K974
♣ KJ
Open Room
– – – 1NT
Double* 2♥* Pass 2♠
Pass 2NT* Pass 3♣
Pass 3♦ Pass 3♥
Pass 3♠ Pass 4♣*
Pass 4♦* Pass 4♠
Pass 4NT* Pass 5♣*
Pass 5♦ Pass 5♠
All Pass
Double DONT – a single suiter
2♥ Transfer
2NT Forcing
4♣ Cue-bid
4♦ Cue-bid
4NT RKCB
5♣ 0-3 key cards
I can’t be certain about my interpretation of the bidding, but 5♠ was unbeatable, +450.
Well done if you reached 6♦ played by South (perhaps an Acol pair might bid
1♦-1♠-1NT-2♣*-3♠-4♦-4♥-4♠-5♣-6♦).
Closed Room
– – – 1NT
Pass 2♥* Pass 2♠
Pass 3♦ Pass 4♠
Pass 5♥* Double Redouble*
Pass 5♠ Pass 6♦
Pass 6♠ All Pass
2♥ Transfer
5♥ Cue-bid
Redouble First round control

♠ KQJ85 Should North have passed 6♦, which would have made
♥ — on a heart lead? But with both North and South adver-
♦ A Q 10 5 2
♣ 10 7 6
tising a heart control I think East would have led a club.
♠ 3 ♠ 9764 West led the jack of hearts. Fortunately the play record
N
♥ J 10 8 7 6 3 ♥ KQ2 is missing, declarer apparently finishing three down for
♦ 83 W E ♦ J6 -150 and 12 IMPs to China Red. Hard to see how that
♣ AQ 9 4 S ♣ 8532 might happen – did declarer try for a dummy reversal?
♠ A 10 2
♥ A954
(which would work if spades were 2-3, but would also
♦ K974 require diamonds to be 2-2 and that declarer finesse the
♣ KJ nine on the first round of the suit.)
Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul.
♠7
♥ AK9762
♦ K43
♣ K84
♠ K J 10 2 N ♠ A9 8 6 4
♥3 ♥ J4
♦ 10 8 6 W E ♦ Q75
♣ AJ 5 3 2 S ♣ Q 10 9
♠ Q53
♥ Q 10 8 5
♦ AJ92
♣ 76
Open Room
– 1♥ Pass 2♥
Pass 3♣* Pass 4♥
All Pass
3♣ Game try
East led the five of diamonds and declarer took West’s ten with the king, drew trumps, played a
diamond to the jack, cashed two diamonds pitching a spade and played a club, +680.
Closed Room
– 1♥ Pass 2♥
Pass Pass 2♠ 3♥
3♠ All Pass
South led the five of hearts and North won with the king and returned the three of diamonds.
South won with the jack, cashed the ace and played a diamond, North winning and playing the
ace of hearts. Declarer ruffed with dummy’s jack, played a spade to the ace and ran the nine of
spades. She then ran the nine of clubs to North’s king, one down, -100, but 11 IMPs to China Red.
I can’t believe that any player from North America is unfamiliar with Meckstroth’s Law – if
partner freely raises your six card major then bid game.

Given a second chance North stood by her initial decision.
After 1♥-2♥ one of my colleagues said that given a choice of only one bid at this point he
would bid 4♥. I confess I might do the same.
Dodging the Bullet

To successfully avoid a very serious problem
The bullet catch is an illusion in which a magician appears to catch a bullet fired directly at
them – often in their mouth, sometimes in their hand or sometimes caught with other items such
as a dinner plate.
Chung Ling Soo was the stage name of the American magician William Ellsworth Robinson.
Chung’s most famous illusion, partly because of his death while performing it, was called Con-
demned to Death by the Boxers. In this trick Chung’s assistants took two guns on to the stage.
Several members of the audience were called up to mark a bullet that was then loaded into one
of the guns. Attendants fired the gun at Chung, and he seemed to catch the bullets from the air
and drop them on a plate he held up in front of him.
The trick went wrong when Chung was performing at the Wood Green Empire, London, on
March 23, 1918. After each performance, to avoid expending powder and bullets, he had never
unloaded his guns properly. Rather than firing them off or drawing the bullets with a screw-rod,
as was normal practice, he removed the bullet and powder by dismantling the breeches of the guns.
Over time, a residue of unburned gunpowder was able to form in the channel he had made which
allowed the flash to bypass the barrel and only ignite a blank charge in the ramrod tube. On the
fateful night, the flash from the pan also ignited the charge behind the marked bullet in the bar-
rel of the gun being used. Consequently, the bullet was fired in the normal way, hitting Chung
in the chest. His last words were spoken on stage that moment, “Oh my God. Something’s hap-
pened. Lower the curtain.” It was the first and last time since adopting his persona that he had
spoken English in public.
When I asked Barry Rigal to look out for a deal where a defender had avoided a fatal pitfall,
thereby dodging the bullet he almost instantaneously suggested this one from Round 13 of the
McConnell:

♠ A97
♥Q
♦ Q J 10 3 2
♣ KQ76
♠ 10 5 2 N ♠ J4
♥ K 10 3 2 ♥ 984
♦4 W E ♦ AK 7 6
♣ A 10 9 5 2 S ♣ J843
♠ KQ863
♥ AJ765
♦ 985
♣—
In the match between China Red and Dezhouqiaoxie (Pushi) 4♠ was rapidly reached at both
tables (as it was virtually everywhere else).
In the Open Room West led her diamond and East won, cashed a second diamond and gave
her partner a ruff. When West tried to cash the ace of clubs declarer was home free, +620.
4♠ was defeated only four times out of 22, once where North was the declarer, making it much
easier to avoid playing the ace of clubs.
(It was a similar story in the Seniors where 4♠ was defeated only twice in eighteen attempts.)
Clearly the West players were worried that declarer might discard one or more losing clubs on
dummy’s diamonds, but did they miss something?
Suppose declarer held ♠KQ863 ♥AJ76 ♦985 ♣3? It is safe to exit with a trump, as declarer
cannot cover all the losers.
It is only when declarer has something like ♠KQJ863 ♥AJ7 ♦985 ♣3 that it is essential to cash
the ace of clubs after taking the ruff.
Hard to resist the temptation to lead the singleton diamond but leading a trump at trick one
puts the defenders in charge even if declarer has six trumps, so whilst the few who resisted the
temptation to try and cash the ace of clubs get an honourable mention, the winner of my Chun
Ling Soo award for the best opening lead of the Championships is Wei Wang of China Orange,
as she was the only one in the McConnell to start with a trump and defeat the contract.

The Night Shift
The Night Shift is an American medical drama series that premiered on May 27, 2014, on NBC.
The series follows the lives of the staff who work the late night shift in the ER at San Antonio
Medical Center.
The players in Sanya were not quite burning the midnight oil, but they were having to play
long after the sun was over the yardarm.
In Round 8 of the McConnell two powerful teams faced off, China Red and Baker.
♠ A 10 9 8 3
♥ 98
♦ Q63
♣ 10 9 4
♠6 N ♠ KQJ742
♥ KJ2 ♥ AQ 4
♦ J97542 W E ♦ AK
♣ K73 S ♣ A5
♠5
♥ 10 7 6 5 3
♦ 10 8
♣ QJ862
Open Room
Brock Zhang Smith Wu
– – 2♣* Pass
2♦* Pass 2♠ Pass
3♦ Pass 3NT Pass
4NT All Pass
2♣ Weak 2♦ or 23+ balanced or any game force
2♦ To play facing diamonds
South led the queen of clubs and declarer won with the ace, cashed the top diamonds, went to
dummy with a heart and forced out the queen of diamonds, +630.
Closed Room
Ran Wortel Wang Michielsen
– – 1♣* 1♥
2♦ Pass 2♠ Pass
2NT Pass 3♠ Pass
3NT Pass 4♦ Pass
4♥* Pass 4NT Pass
5♦ Pass 6NT All Pass
4♥ Cue-bid
North led the nine of hearts and declarer won with the jack, played a spade to the king and the
queen of spades. When South discarded declarer needed diamonds to deliver six tricks. When
they did not the contract finished one down, -100 and 12 IMPs for Baker.

♠ Q632
♥ 10 9 4 2
♦ 65
♣ J65
♠8 N ♠ KJ
♥ AQ 8 5 ♥ J763
♦ AK 9 3 W E ♦ Q J 10 8 7
♣ KQ97 S ♣ 83
♠ A 10 9 7 5 4
♥K
♦ 42
♣ A 10 4 2
Open Room
– – – 1♠
Double 3♠* Double* 4♠
Double All Pass
3♠ Preemptive
Double Responsive
West led the eight of spades and declarer took East’s jack with the ace and played the king of
hearts. West won with the ace and cashed the ace of diamonds, continuing with the three when
East played an encouraging seven. East won with the ten and returned the eight of clubs and West
won with the queen and exited with the five of hearts. Declarer ruffed East’s jack and played a
spade and East won and played a club, three down, -500.
Closed Room
Ran Wortel Wang Michielsen
– – – 1♠
Double 3♠* 4♥ Pass
Pass 4♠ Pass Pass
5♥ All Pass
Declarer could not avoid the loss of a spade, a heart and a club, one down, -100 and 12 IMPs to
Baker.

Board 28. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
♠ J87
♥Q
♦ 10 9 6 3
♣ KQJ72
♠ K Q 10 6 N ♠ A3 2
♥ J2 ♥ A 10 8 6 5 4
♦ KQ72 W E ♦ J4
♣ 10 9 5 S ♣ A4
♠ 954
♥ K973
♦ A85
♣ 863
Open Room
1♣* Pass 1♦* Pass
1♥* Pass 4♥ All Pass
1♣ All weak NTs open 1♣ unless 5M, may be 4-4-4-1 11-14
1♦ Transfer
1♥ Weak no-trump type
North led the king of clubs and declarer ducked, won the next club, played a spade to the king
and a low heart for the queen and ace. South took the next heart with the king, cashed the ace of
diamonds and waited for a trump trick, one down, -50.
If declarer was going to play the trumps in this fashion it works better to win the ace of clubs
at trick one. Then after a spade to the king and a heart to the ace declarer can play three more
spades discarding dummy’s remaining club, losing only two hearts and a diamond.
Closed Room
Wang Wortel Wang Michielsen
Pass Pass 1♥ Pass
1♠ Pass 2♥ Pass
2NT Pass 3♠ Pass
4♥ All Pass
South led the three of clubs and declarer won and played the four of diamonds. South went up
with the ace and played a club and North won and continued with the queen. Declarer ruffed,
overtook the jack of diamonds with dummy’s king and played the jack of hearts for the queen
and ace. A spade to the king was followed by a heart, two down, -100 and 2 IMPs to Baker.
It’s worth noting that the technical line in the trump suit is to start with the jack, which results
in one loser 36.73% of the time.

Top Gunnar
Over breakfast multiple world champion Gunnar Hallberg, presented two boards that he thought
were instructive if you want to understand what this game is about from a psychological point
of view.
In the first you have: ♠ 932 ♥ QJ975 ♦ J75 ♣ 95
With no one vulnerable, you are the dealer and after you and your LHO pass your partner
opens 1♥ and RHO overcalls 1♠.What do you bid?
This was the full deal:
Board 24. Dealer West. None Vul.
♠ Q J 10 8
♥ K42
♦ 96
♣ 8742
♠ 932 N ♠5
♥ QJ975 ♥ A 10 8 6 3
♦ J75 W E ♦ A K 10 3
♣ 95 S ♣ A K 10
♠ AK764
♥—
♦ Q842
♣ QJ63
Pass Pass 1♥ 1♠
1NT! 2♠ Double Pass
4♥ All Pass
“It’s the most natural and obvious 1NT bid you can make”, Gunnar says. You have to remove the
opponent’s interest in bidding spades over your eventual game in hearts. You don’t have a clue
to which level they can afford to bid. But we would like to buy the board as cheaply as possible.
This deal was from Round 8 and earned Hallberg and his Black team 4 IMPs when his team-
mates sacrificed in Four Spades at the other table for -300.
On the second exhibit you are going to lead from the following hand against Four Spades:
♠ J9 ♥ A6 ♦ Q98653 ♣ Q109
After an auction in which you have bid diamonds you know that dummy is going to contain
8-12 HCPs including four spades. You also know that declarer is holding four spades, five hearts
and 16+ HCP. What to lead?

Board 20. Dealer West. All Vul.
♠ KQ84
♥ J73
♦ K J 10
♣ J73
♠ J9 N
♥ A6
♦ Q98653 W E
♣ Q 10 9 S
Again Gunnar says:“It’s rather obvious that they are going to make game, if we are to find anything
we probably have to get it with help from the clubs.” Hallberg therefore led the ten of clubs on
which he got an encouraging three from partner and declarer won the trick with the ace. Declarer
then played the three of spades.
What is your plan?
♠ KQ84
♥ J73
♦ K J 10
♣ J73
♠ J9 N ♠ 762
♥ A6 ♥ 984
♦ Q98653 W E ♦ 74
♣ Q 10 9 S ♣ K8642
♠ A 10 5 3
♥ K Q 10 5 2
♦ A2
♣ A5
“I just followed with the jack of spades”, said Gunnar. “A play that never will cost anything. Declarer
won with the king and called for the jack of hearts from dummy, I ducked in tempo, and declarer
played a second round of hearts. I won this and played a club to my partner who then could give
me a ruff in hearts.”
That was 1 IMP for Black when their teammates had played Four Hearts to make eleven tricks
at the other table.

Day 11
The knockout rounds are all now under way and meanwhile the eliminated teams start out on the
long journey to the various Pairs finals.
Master Play
Piotr Gawrys is one of Poland’s superstars. A WBF Grand Master, he has won 3 world champion-
ships, the 1984 World Team Olympics, the Transnational Mixed Teams 2000 and the Transnational
Open Teams 2005. His other first places include the Generali World Masters Individual in 1992
the European Teams Championships 1993 and the European Open Pairs 1995.
On this deal from the Rosenblum round of 32 he afforded us a glimpse of his skill.
♠ J 10 8 4
♥ K8
♦ K6
♣ AQ652
♠ Q653 N ♠ 92
♥ 10 7 3 2 ♥ Q4
♦ 10 9 W E ♦ AJ 3 2
♣ 974 S ♣ K J 10 8 3
♠ AK7
♥ AJ965
♦ Q8754
♣—
Open Room
Mazurkiewicz Silverstein Jassem Rosenthal
– – – 1♥
Pass 2♣ Pass 2♦
Pass 2NT Pass 3♦
Pass 3♥ Pass 3NT
All Pass
East led the three of clubs and declarer took West’s nine with the queen, pitching a diamond from
dummy and played a heart to the jack. When that held he played a heart to the king, a spade to
the ace and cashed the ace of hearts pitching a club. So far, so good but when declarer exited with
a heart West won and returned the seven of clubs. With East holding the ace of diamonds the
contract was doomed, one down, -50.
Closed Room
Lorenzini Gawrys Bessis Klukowski
– – – 1♥
Pass 2♣ Pass 2♦
Pass 2NT Pass 3♦
Pass 3NT All Pass

♠ J 10 8 4 Play started in an identical fashion, East leading the
♥ K8 three of clubs, declarer taking West’s nine with the queen,
♦ K6 pitching a diamond from dummy and playing a heart to
♣ AQ652
♠ Q653 ♠ 92
the jack, a heart to the king, a spade to the ace, cashing
N the ace of hearts and pitching a club.
♥ 10 7 3 2 ♥ Q4
♦ 10 9 W E ♦ AJ 3 2 Rather than continue with a heart declarer played a
♣ 974 S ♣ K J 10 8 3 diamond to his king. East took the ace and returned
♠ AK7 the king of clubs, but declarer ducked, discarding one
♥ AJ965
♦ Q8754
of dummy’s hearts, won the spade switch with dummy’s
♣ — king, cashed the queen of diamonds and exited with a
heart. West won with the ten, but had no good move. If
he exited with a club declarer would win and return a spade, forcing West to surrender the game
going trick. Saving time, West cashed the queen of spades and declarer claimed the last two tricks,
+400 and 10 IMPs to Mazurkiewicz.
Carousel
Carousel is the second musical by the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. Rodgers
later wrote that Carousel was his favourite of all his musicals. One of the many well known songs
from the musical is If I loved You, which contains the line ‘I’d let my golden chances pass me by’.
In the last session of the Rosenblum round of 32 this deal offered up a beautiful opportunity:
♠ 62
♥ KQ4
♦ 9732
♣ QJ63
♠ A5 4 N ♠ KQJ3
♥ A 10 8 3 2 ♥ 97
♦ K85 W E ♦ A Q 10
♣ 98 S ♣ A K 10 7
♠ 10 9 8 7
♥ J65
♦ J64
♣ 542
3NT/ 4NT was a popular contract but three declarers were more ambitious, getting all the way
to 6NT.
This was the bidding at one of the tables:
Open Room
Strzemecki Chagas Zawada Weinstein
– Pass 1♣* Pass
1♥ Pass 1NT Pass
3♣* Pass 3♦* Pass
4NT* Pass 6NT All Pass

♠ 62 South led the ten of spades and declarer won with dum-
♥ KQ4 my’s ace and ran the eight of clubs. When that held he
♦ 9732 continued with the nine of clubs and when North played
♣ QJ63
♠ A5 4 ♠ KQJ3
the jack he won with the king. When declarer ducked
N a heart, North won with the king and returned a spade.
♥ A 10 8 3 2 ♥ 97
♦ K85 W E ♦ A Q 10 There was no pressure in the ending and declarer lost a
♣ 98 S ♣ A K 10 7 club at the end for one down.
♠ 10 9 8 7 The other two declarers were also unsuccessful, but all
♥ J65
♦ J64
three had let their golden chance pass them by. Instead
♣ 542 of ducking a heart declarer plays off his spade and dia-
mond winners to reach this position:
♠—
♥ KQ4
♦—
♣ Q6
♠— N ♠—
♥ A 10 8 3 ♥ 97
♦8 W E ♦A
♣— S ♣ A 10
♠—
♥ J65
♦J
♣2
When declarer cashes the ace of diamonds North must throw a high heart to avoid being end-
played, but then declarer can play a heart to the ace, then if North unblocks, a second heart results
in South being endplayed.
Notice that if South leads a heart declarer can survive by taking the ace, playing clubs as before
and then cashing the winners in the pointed suits. The last of these will be too much for North,
even if he is down to ♥K4 ♣J6.
“What,” I hear you asking, “if North had started with ♣QJ3?”
First that is not the type of hand that will entertain you.
Second, in this type of situation it is almost impossible for a defender not to give the game away.
The three declarers in 4NT all took 12 tricks – well done indeed.
Sviatlana Badrankova sent in the following terrific report about a deal she had watched on BBO.

Friendly but Merciless
Bridge is equal to all other sports when it is about the players’ attitude to the competition. At the table,
they are as friendly to each other as they are merciless to the bidding and play problems they face.
This deal from the match between Lavazza and Era in the Red Bull Rosenblum round of 16
serves as an example:
♠ 654
♥ A8762
♦ AJ82
♣9
♠3 N ♠ KJ9872
♥ QJ4 ♥ K 10 9 5 3
♦ K 10 3 W E ♦—
♣ K Q 10 7 6 5 S ♣ 42
♠ A Q 10
♥—
♦ Q97654
♣ AJ83
Tarnovski Bocchi Pachtman Madala
– – – 1♦
2♣ Double 2♠ Pass
3♣ 3♦ 3♥ 4♣
Pass 5♦ Pass 6♦
Double All Pass
At this table, each player made the maximum use of the resources available (at many other E/W
were allowed to play in hearts).
Well informed about the lay out, Agustin Madala demonstrated precise declarer play. After the
♥Q opening lead, he ruffed in hand, took his time for planning and proceeded very confidently.
He ran the ♦Q discovering the 3-0 trump break (East discarded a club) and played the ♣J. Bar
Tarnovski, West, won and returned the ♦10 to the jack. A heart ruff was followed by diamond
to the ace, the ♥A (club from declarer’s hand), and one more heart ruff. Then the ♣A and a club
ruff resulted in this ending:
♠ 654
♥8
♦8
♣—
♠3 N ♠ KJ98
♥— ♥K
♦— W E ♦—
♣ K 10 7 6 S ♣—
♠ A Q 10
♥—
♦—
♣ A8

On the ♣A, both dummy and East pitched a spade, but when the eight of clubs was ruffed, East
had to admit he was caught.
A beginner may wonder why declarer should lose a trick in a side suit when possessing the ace
opposite a singleton and plenty of trumps. Nevertheless, only this line of play allows declarer to
succeed and it takes no account of the quality of declarer’s spades. East is marked with at least five
spades and replacing the ten of spades with the two would make no difference.
Next door, Dominik Filipowicz, playing in 5♦ doubled collected 12 tricks as well but after a
small spade opening lead.
So, the merciless Lavazza’s score was tanked up by 11 IMPs.... but the atmosphere at both tables
remained friendly.
(A beginner might wonder why declarer had not simply taken two spade finesses, but suppose West
had started with the singleton jack! Editor)
Day 12
The Natural
The Natural is a 1984 film adaptation of Bernard Malamud’s 1952 baseball novel of the same
name, directed by Barry Levinson and starring Robert Redford, Glenn Close, and Robert Duvall.
The film, like the book, recounts the experiences of Roy Hobbs, an individual with great ‘natural’
baseball talent, spanning decades of Roy’s eventual success and his suffering.
In an early scene Roy is asked what he hopes to achieve in baseball and he says he hopes that
when he walks down the street people would look, see him and say, ‘There goes Roy Hobbs, the
best there ever was’.
I cannot tell you that what people will say about the bridge champions of the present era, but
if you stay with me until the end of this report I will offer an opinion about one of them.
Monaco started the second set of their Rosenblum round of 16 match with a 4IMP lead.
♠ Q4
♥ 542
♦ 7643
♣ 8643
♠ K 10 5 2 N ♠ J8763
♥ K963 ♥ A 10 7
♦ A9 2 W E ♦ K J 10 8
♣ 10 2 S ♣K
♠ A9
♥ QJ8
♦ Q5
♣ AQJ975
Open Room
King Fantoni Black Nunes
– – 1♠ 2♣
3♣* Pass 4♠ All Pass
3♣ Good raise in spades

♠ Q4 South led the queen of hearts and declarer won with the
♥ 542 ace and played the six of spades, South going up with
♦ 7643 the ace and returning a spade to dummy’s king. Declarer
♣ 8643 played dummy’s ten of spades, overtook it with the jack
♠ K 10 5 2 N ♠ J8763
♥ K963 ♥ A 10 7 and played the seven of hearts for the jack and king. A
♦ A9 2 W E ♦ K J 10 8 heart to the ten was followed by the jack of diamonds
♣ 10 2 S ♣ K to the ace, a club went on the master heart and declarer
♠ A9 came to hand with the king of diamonds, +480 when
♥ QJ8 the queen appeared.
♦ Q5
♣ AQJ975
Closed Room
Helgemo Hallberg Helness Bertheau
– – 1♠ 2♣
3♣* Pass 3♠ All Pass
3♣ Spade raise
Here too South started with the queen of hearts and declarer won with the ace and played a spade.
South took the ace and returned the eight of hearts. Not wanting to risk a heart ruff declarer
put up dummy’s king and played a club to the king and ace. South cashed the jack of hearts and
continued with the queen of clubs. Declarer ruffed, played a spade to the king, cashed the ace
of diamonds and played a diamond to the jack and queen, +140 and 8 IMPs to Black handing
them the lead.
♠ K4
♥ KJ82
♦ J8
♣ AJ653
♠ J832 N ♠ A 10 9 6 5
♥ 10 6 5 ♥ A4
♦ AK Q W E ♦ 96
♣ K87 S ♣ Q 10 4 2
♠ Q7
♥ Q973
♦ 10 7 5 4 3 2
♣9
Open Room
– 1NT* 2♠ Pass
4♠ All Pass
1NT 12-14 any balanced, 5332, 5422, no 54 Ms, 4441 6m332
I’m not sure if 2♠ promised spades and a minor, but West was always going to game whatever it
meant.

Closed Room ♠ K4
♥ KJ82
West North East South ♦ J8
Helgemo Hallberg Helness Bertheau ♣ AJ653
– 1♣ 1♠ Pass ♠ J832 N ♠ A 10 9 6 5
2♣ Pass 2♠ Pass ♥ 10 6 5 ♥ A4
♦ AK Q W E ♦ 96
2NT Pass 3NT All Pass ♣ K87 S ♣ Q 10 4 2
♠ Q7
After a heart lead declarer could only muster eight tricks. ♥ Q973
-50 and 10 IMPs to Black. ♦ 10 7 5 4 3 2
♣ 9

♠ 9765
♥ Q2
♦ 87432
♣ 10 2
♠ AJ 2 N ♠ K 10 4
♥ KJ4 ♥ A 10 8 7
♦ AJ W E ♦5
♣ KQ953 S ♣ A8 7 6 4
♠ Q83
♥ 9653
♦ K Q 10 9 6
♣J
Open Room
– Pass 1♣ 1♦
2♦* 4♦ Pass Pass
5♣ All Pass
North’s jump to 4♦ took away a lot of space, but even so West might have done more than bid 5♣.
Declarer won the diamond lead with dummy’s ace, ruffed a diamond, drew trumps and claimed
twelve tricks, +620.
Closed Room
– Pass 1♣ 1♦
2♠* 4♦ Pass Pass
6♣ All Pass
That simple auction gave Monaco 13 IMPs.

♠ 10 4
♥ Q853
♦ 842
♣ A K J 10
♠ J9832 N ♠ Q6
♥ K74 ♥ J92
♦ 10 W E ♦ 9763
♣ 7642 S ♣ Q985
♠ AK75
♥ A 10 6
♦ AKQJ5
♣3
Open Room
– – Pass 1♦*
Pass 2♣* Pass 2♠
Pass 2NT Pass 3♣
Pass 3♦ Pass 3♥
Pass 3NT Pass 4♦
Pass 5♣* Pass 6♦
All Pass
1♦ 14+ (good 12/13) 4+ diamonds
2♣ Game forcing, clubs or balanced or diamond support
5♣ Cue-bid
West led the two of clubs for the ace, five and three. Declarer played a spade for the six, ace and
two and the six of hearts. West put up the king and exited with the seven of hearts for the jack and
ace. Declarer played four rounds of trumps and when West discarded the four of hearts declarer
knew he was home, +1370.
If West had withheld the king of hearts declarer would have been without resource. 6♦ can be
made by taking an immediate ruffing finesse in clubs, but that is hardly obvious.
Closed Room
– – Pass 1♦
Pass 1♥ Pass 1♠
Pass 1NT Pass 3♥
Pass 3NT All Pass
North knew his partner had a very good hand, but with so much in clubs it was tough to go
beyond 3NT. East led the nine of clubs and declarer won with dummy’s ten, cashed the top clubs
and claimed eleven tricks, +460 but 12 IMPs to Monaco.

♠4
♥ KJ9862
♦ 43
♣ J 10 8 2
♠ AQ 8 7 6 N ♠ J 10 9 2
♥ 10 7 5 4 ♥—
♦— W E ♦ 10 8 7 6
♣ AQ 9 7 S ♣ K6543
♠ K53
♥ AQ3
♦ AKQJ952
♣—
Open Room
– Pass Pass 1♦*
Double 1♥ 1♠ Double*
2♠ 3♥ Pass 4♥
4♠ 4NT Pass 5♦
5♠ Pass Pass 6♦
6♠ Pass Pass Double
All Pass
1♦ 14+ (good 12/13) 4+ diamonds
I’m not sure about the meaning of South’s first double – it might have shown heart support.
Thereafter both sides bid a lot.
If West had passed 6♦ East would have doubled for a heart lead, but offers no guarantee that
the slam will be defeated.
South led the ace of diamonds and declarer ruffed in dummy, ruffed a heart with the nine of
spades and played a club. South did not make the mistake of ruffing (that allows 6♠ to make!)
and discarded the ace of hearts. Declarer won with dummy’s queen, ruffed a heart with the two of
spades and played a club. Playing safe, South pitched the two of diamonds and declarer won with
dummy’s ace, and ruffed a heart with the jack of spades. South overruffed and returned a trump.
Declarer won with dummy’s ace and the defenders had a heart and club to come, two down, -500.
Declarer missed a neat possibility.
If he wins the spade exit in hand he can play a diamond, throwing a club from dummy. South
wins and exits with a spade, but declarer wins in dummy and cashes two more trumps, squeezing
North in hearts and clubs for one down.

Closed Room
– 2♦* Pass 2NT*
Pass 3♦ Pass 6♥
?
2♦ Multi
2NT Relay
3♦ Minimum, hearts
N/S can make 6♥ but only if South is declarer.
When I presented the auction up to the point where South had bid 6♥ to my colleagues, to a
man (and woman) they said they would not double and were thinking about what to lead.
Now came one of the most remarkable (and courageous) bids you will ever see – indeed, I am
almost at a loss to find the words to describe it.
The bid of the century perhaps?
Or the bid heard round the world?
This is how the auction concluded:
6♠!! Double All Pass
When I got the chance to ask Geir about this deal he said that he was fairly confident he would
make 6♠ when he bid it!
He knew partner held a heart void and that South, missing two aces, must have solid diamonds
and a void. It was long odds that partner would produce spade support and length and values in
clubs – give East the ten of clubs and 6♠ would be cold.
North led the nine of hearts and declarer ruffed and played a club, winning with the queen when
South pitched a diamond. He ruffed a heart and played another club, putting in the nine when
South threw the ace of hearts. North won with the ten and made the slight mistake of returning
a diamond. Declarer ruffed and ruffed a heart and although South could overruff that was the
last trick for the defence, one down and 7 IMPs for Monaco.
It is unusual for a single bid to win an award, but it is not without precedent so Geir’s stupen-
dous effort must surely be a candidate for 2015.
There goes Geir Helgemo, the best there ever was.
Day 13
Five Easy Pieces
Five Easy Pieces is a 1970 American drama film starring Jack Nicholson. It tells the story of a surly
oil rig worker, Bobby Dupea, whose seemingly rootless, blue-collar existence belies his privileged
youth as a piano prodigy.
The five classical piano pieces played in the film and referenced in the title are:
Frédéric Chopin: Fantasy in F minor, Op. 49
Johann Sebastian Bach: Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue, BWV 903
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 9 in E-flat major, K. 271
Chopin: Prelude in E minor, Op. 28, No. 4
Mozart: Fantasy in D minor, K. 397
I cannot tell you if these are difficult compositions, but there were some tough deals in the
second session of the Rosenblum quarter-final between Monaco and Lebron – by pure chance I
have selected five of them – judge for yourselves if they were five easy pieces:

♠ J4
♥ 94
♦ A83
♣ K Q J 10 9 3
♠ Q763 N ♠ A 10 8 3
♥ 87632 ♥ KJ
♦ KJ W E ♦ 762
♣ 52 S ♣ A7 6 4
♠ K92
♥ A Q 10 5
♦ Q 10 9 5 4
♣8
Open Room
Demuy Helness Kranyak Helgemo
– – – 1♦
Pass 3♣* All Pass
3♣ Natural, limited
East led the king of hearts and declarer won with dummy’s ace and played a club to the jack and
ace. East continued with the jack of hearts to dummy’s queen and declarer ruffed a heart with
the king of clubs, drew trumps, cashed the ace of diamonds and played a diamond to West’s king.
East’s ace of spades was the last defensive trick, +130.
Closed Room
Nunes Hurd Fantoni Wooldridge
– – – 1♦
Pass 2♣ Pass 2♦
Pass 3♣ Pass 3NT
All Pass
West led the seven of spades (Slavinsky, see below) and East won with the ace and returned the
five of spades to the nine and queen. The next spade went to declarer’s king, and he played a club
to the king and East’s ace. The eight of spades was the defenders fourth trick, but with the king
of hearts onside declarer had the rest, +400 and 7 IMPs for Lebron.
Using Slavinsky leads you give count with the opening lead when you have one or more hon-
ours. With K6532 you lead the 2, with K653 the 6 and with 9832 the 2 (the ten is not regarded
as an honour).
To defeat 3NT East must switch to a diamond at trick two. If West is allowed to win the trick
he must then continue with the queen of spades – that’s a very difficult piece of play to find.

♠ K J 10 8 7 4 2
♥ K 10 4
♦6
♣ 53
♠ Q6 N ♠ A9 5 3
♥ A8 2 ♥ Q96
♦ A9 8 4 3 2 W E ♦ KQJ7
♣ AQ S ♣ KJ
♠—
♥ J753
♦ 10 5
♣ 10 9 8 7 6 4 2
Open Room
– 3♠ Pass Pass
Double All Pass
Preemptive style is a partnership matter.

East led the king of diamonds and when West followed with the two he switched to the king
of clubs. West overtook it with the ace and tried the ace of diamonds. Declarer ruffed and ducked
a club to West’s ace. He ruffed the diamond return and now does best to exit with the king of
hearts, which might allow him to escape for three down.
However, declarer exited with the king of spades and East took the ace and returned a dia-
mond. Declarer ruffed and played the jack of spades. West won and played another diamond and
declarer was without resource. He tried pitching hearts on the diamonds, but then West cashed
the ace of hearts and played a heart ensuring a trick for East’s nine of spades, five down, -1400.
Closed Room
– 2♠ 2NT Pass
4♠* Pass 4NT* Pass
5♣* Pass 5♠* Pass
6♦ All Pass
If 4♠ showed diamonds and slam interest (?!) then 4NT might be Turbo (see below) with 5♣
promising three key cards and 5♠ being some kind of grand slam try.
Here North’s more conservative action left E/W with much more room and they quickly reached
a slam that appeared to be doomed.
However, when North elected to lead the four of hearts the situation changed dramatically, as
at a single stroke the contract became unbeatable.
Declarer won with dummy’s queen, drew trumps, played a heart to the ace, eliminated the
clubs and exited with a heart. North won with the king and had to lead into the split spade tenace.
It would not have helped North to unblock the king of hearts as although it would then be
possible for South to win with the jack he would be the one to be endplayed.

You can imagine how it went at the scoring up – ‘Board 21, +920’ – ‘Well done, lose 10 IMPs.’
By the way, would a double by South in this type of situation ask for a spade lead (imagine
South held a likely trick in addition to the spade void)?
Turbo was originally designed to be employed with Neapolitan cue-bids, which show a first
or second round control after a fit has been established. It became part of the Blue Club system
developed by Benito Garozzo. The fundamental concept of Turbo is that the partner bids 4NT
to show an even number of keycards. This only happens after a cue-bid has been made showing a
first or second round control. A bid higher than 4NT promises an odd number of keycards and
also first-round control in the suit bid.
Board 22. Dealer East. E/W Vul.
♠ QJ4
♥ A 10 4
♦ AK2
♣ A752
♠ A7 6 N ♠ 10 9 2
♥ 62 ♥ QJ8753
♦ Q543 W E ♦ J9
♣ Q986 S ♣ K 10
♠ K853
♥ K9
♦ 10 8 7 6
♣ J43
Open Room
– – Pass Pass
Pass 1♣ 1♥ Double*
Pass 2NT Pass 3NT
All Pass
When East led the five of hearts declarer was able to win with dummy’s nine and he continued
with three rounds of spades, West taking the last of them with the ace and returning a heart to
dummy’s king. Declarer cashed dummy’s remaining spade and was home, +400.
Closed Room
– – Pass Pass
Pass 1♣ 1♥ Double*
Pass 2NT Pass 3NT
All Pass
East led the queen of hearts and declarer won with dummy’s king and played a spade to the queen.
When it held he continued with the jack and when that too was ducked he tried the two of clubs.
East went up with the king and played a spade. West took the ace and returned a heart. Declarer
put in the ten and East won and played a heart. Declarer won, cashed the top diamonds and the
ace of clubs and was two down, -100 and 11 IMPs to Monaco.

Declarer had missed a difficult chance. When West returns a heart declarer goes up with the
ace and plays three rounds of diamonds, endplaying West.
♠ K2
♥ AJ8764
♦ QJ6
♣ A2
♠ Q 10 8 7 N ♠ A6 4 3
♥ K 10 ♥ Q52
♦ 10 8 7 3 W E ♦ 52
♣ J54 S ♣ K 10 9 6
♠ J95
♥ 93
♦ AK94
♣ Q873
Open Room
– – Pass Pass
Pass 1NT Pass 2♣*
Pass 2♥ Pass 3NT
All Pass
East led the six of clubs and declarer put up dummy’s queen. When it held he played a heart for
the ten, jack and queen. East switched to the three of spades and declarer won with the king,
played a diamond to the ace and a heart, +660.
Closed Room
– – Pass Pass
Pass 1♥ Pass 1NT
Pass 2♥ Pass 3♥
Pass 4♥ All Pass
East led the two of diamonds and declarer won in hand, cashed the ace of hearts and continued
with a low heart to West’s king, Back came the five of clubs and declarer took the ace and tried
to play three rounds of diamonds. East ruffed and cashed his black winners, one down, +100 and
13 IMPs to Monaco.
If declarer wins the diamond lead in dummy and plays a heart the fortunate lie of the suit com-
bined with the location of the king of clubs makes it very easy to record ten tricks.

♠ 86532
♥ K2
♦ K8
♣ J972
♠ Q 10 9 4 N ♠ J7
♥ A5 4 3 ♥ Q J 10 9 8
♦ 76 W E ♦ 942
♣ 10 8 4 S ♣ AQ 3
♠ AK
♥ 76
♦ A Q J 10 5 3
♣ K65
Open Room
– – – 1♦
Pass 1♠ 2♥ Double
3♥ All Pass
South cashed the king of spades and switched to the six of clubs. Declarer won with the queen and
returned a spade to South’s king. He switched to the queen of diamonds and continued with the
ten of diamonds to North’s king. North returned the three of spades and when declarer pitched
a club South ruffed and the king of hearts was the sixth trick for the defence, two down, -100.
Closed Room
– – – 1♦
Pass 1♠ Pass 3♦
Pass 3NT All Pass
East led the queen of hearts and declarer won with the king, cashed the king of diamonds and
claimed, +400 and 7 IMPs for Lebron.
Five easy pieces? Perhaps not.
For those who are interested a quick internet search revealed that Islamay’s An Oriental Fantasy
by Balakierve is considered to be one of the most difficult to play.
You can replay these deals at: http://tinyurl.com/o6vcl8x

The Barry Rigal Collection
During the course of a major Championship Barry Rigal keeps an eye open for deals that might
be in contention for one of the IBPA’s annual awards.
A couple of days before he remarked that he had never collected so many deals from a tourna-
ment, such was the quality of the play.
The Red Bull Rosenblum semi final between Monaco and Diamond witnessed another deal
that did not escape Barry’s attention:
Board 25 Dealer North. E/W Vul.
♠ 875
♥ A 10 8 6 4
♦ KJ7
♣ A6
♠ A Q 10 9 4 3 N ♠ J62
♥ 72 ♥ KJ93
♦3 W E ♦ Q96
♣ QJ43 S ♣ 10 7 5
♠K
♥ Q5
♦ A 10 8 5 4 2
♣ K982
Open Room
Greco Helness Hampson Helgemo
– 1♥ Pass 2♦
2♠ Pass Pass 2NT
Pass 3♦ All Pass
It was a pity that North did not raise to 3NT as then we would have had a chance to see if West
would have found the lead of the ace of spades. (I am confident declarer would have negotiated
the diamond suit after a low spade lead).
West led the queen of clubs against Three Diamonds and declarer won in dummy and played
a spade to the king and ace. West switched to a trump and declarer took East’s nine with the ten
and played to ruff two clubs, finishing with +130.
Closed Room
Nunes Drijver Fantoni Brink
– 1♥ Pass 2♦
2♠ 3♦ Pass 3♠*
Pass 4♣ Pass 4♥
Pass 5♦ All Pass
The Dutchmen pursued the sound policy of ensuring that with an opening bid facing an open-
ing bid they got to game.
West led the queen of clubs and declarer won in dummy and played a spade to the king and
ace. West returned the queen of spades and declarer ruffed, cashed the king of clubs, ruffed a club

with the jack of diamonds, ruffed a spade, ruffed a club with the king of diamonds, played a dia-
mond to the ten, cashed the ace of diamonds and exited with a diamond.
East had to win and exhausted of black cards he had to lead into the split tenace in hearts, giv-
ing declarer a beautifully played +400 and 7 IMPs.
Elsewhere Al Levy reported that the 18th World Computer-Bridge Championship ended yes-
terday with Shark Bridge narrowly defeating Micro Bridge in the 64-board final. Our Game
sponsored the event, so the winners went home with more than a trophy. With three boards to
play, and Micro Bridge up by 5 IMPs, John Norris, developer of Shark Bridge, was rooting for
his robot to bid a slam on board 62 (even if it might be defeated) as he could see that the last two
boards would be flat. At the other table, Micro Bridge bid to 5♥ and made 450 on a club lead.
Board 62. Dealer East. None Vul.
♠ K 10
♥ K9862
♦ KQ3
♣ Q95
♠ QJ5 N ♠ A8 4 2
♥ J73 ♥ 10
♦ 986 W E ♦ 742
♣ J632 S ♣ K 10 8 7 4
♠ 9763
♥ AQ54
♦ A J 10 5
♣A
Micro Shark Micro Shark
– – Pass 1♦
Pass 1♥ 1NT 4♣
Pass 4♦ Pass 4♥
Pass 4NT Pass 5♦
Pass 5♥ Pass 6♥
All Pass
The slam is reasonable and will make even on a diamond lead, which seems to take away a key
entry for ruffing a couple of clubs and pulling trumps. A finesse of the ♥8 will be required, but
East’s 1NT (takeout for the black suits) provides a clue. In practice, East led the ace of spades and
the title went to Shark Bridge.
Around 23.30 the phone rings – Brian Senior has collapsed and been rushed to hospital. Fear-
ing the worst Herman de Wael and I grab a taxi and make our way downtown where the hospital
where we find the patient who is alive, but definitely unwell.
The Doctor, who speaks perfect English, explains that they need to keep Brian in overnight for
more tests but eventually he is discharged. It later transpires that he has been the victim of a parasite.

Day 14
Anyone hoping to see dramatic conclusions to the team championships was generally disappointed
as in all three contests the team taking the first set went on to take the title – convincingly in the
Rosenblum and Women’s events and only marginally less so in the Seniors.
Brent Manley followed the first session of the Women’s final:
In the opening set of the final against China Red, the Baker squad scored IMPs in bunches.
Baker started with a carryover of 7.67 and added to that on the second board of the set when
Karen McCallum, playing with Baker, judged correctly that the opponents’ game was not making.
♠K
♥ K7543
♦ 95
♣ K Q J 10 6
♠ AJ 5 N ♠ Q986
♥ AJ 8 ♥ Q 10
♦ K 10 7 2 W E ♦ QJ83
♣ 842 S ♣ A5 3
♠ 10 7 4 3 2
♥ 962
♦ A64
♣ 97
Michielsen Lu Wortel Wang
– – 1♣ Pass
1NT Pass 2♦ Pass
2♥ Pass 2♠ Pass
3NT All Pass
Marion Michielsen’s game-forcing 1NT made her declarer in the logical game for East-West.Yan
Lu started with the ♣K, ducked, and continued with the ♣J, also ducked.
Michielsen took the third club with dummy’s ace and ran the ♥Q to Lu’s king. Michielsen lost
four clubs, a heart and the ♦A for two down and minus 100.
Ran McCallum Wang Baker
– – 1♦ Pass
3NT Double All Pass
McCallum was pretty sure she had five tricks against 3NT in the form of four clubs and the ♥K,
so she applied the red card and led the ♣K. Declarer, Jing Rong Ran, ducked twice, won the third
round of clubs and played a diamond to her king and another diamond to dummy’s jack. Baker
won the ♦A and returned a heart. When Ran ducked, McCallum won the king and cashed her
clubs. Two down meant plus 300 to Baker and a gain of 5 IMPs.

Board 4. Dealer West. Both Vul.
♠ K Q 10 6
♥ A 10 8 7 2
♦ Q92
♣6
♠ J742 N ♠ A8 3
♥ KQJ6 ♥ 43
♦ 10 7 W E ♦ J543
♣ 752 S ♣ K Q 10 9
♠ 95
♥ 95
♦ AK86
♣ AJ843
Pass 1♥ Pass 1NT
Pass 2♦ Pass 3♦
All Pass
Meike Wortel led the ♣K to dummy’s ace, Lu continuing with a spade to her king and Wortel’s
ace. A spade return picked up Michielsen’s jack, and Lu pitched a heart from dummy on the ♠10.
She then embarked on a crossruff that resulted in 11 tricks for plus 150.
McCallum and Baker were more ambitious at the other table.
Pass 1♥ Pass 2♣
Pass 2♠ Pass 3NT
All Pass
Ran started with the ♥K. Blessed with great spots in the heart suit, Baker won with the ace and
played the suit right back to her 9. Ran took the ♥J and played the ♦10, but that solved another
suit for declarer. Baker won with dummy’s ♦Q and played another heart to West. The diamond
return gave her four tricks in that suit. All she had to do was to lead a spade to dummy’s king to
establish her ninth trick.
She took one spade, one club, three hearts and four diamonds for plus 600 and a 10-IMP gain.

Board 5. Dealer North. Both Vul.
♠ AQ72
♥ K543
♦ A632
♣3
♠ 864 N ♠ K J 10 9 5
♥8 ♥ A9 6
♦ 94 W E ♦ J 10 8 5
♣ AJ 9 8 7 5 4 S ♣Q
♠3
♥ Q J 10 7 2
♦ KQ7
♣ K 10 6 2
– 1♦ 1♠ Double
2♠ Pass Pass Double
Pass 4♥ All Pass
Wortel led the ♣Q, ducked all around. At trick two, she switched to the ♦J, taken in dummy. Not
suspecting the actual lie of the club suit, Lu played a low club from dummy, ruffing with the ♥3.
Wortel overruffed with the ♥6, then cashed the trump ace and continued with her third trump,
leaving declarer with only the ♥K for ruffing club losers.
The result was one down for minus 100.
– 1♦ 1♠ 2♥
3♣ 4♥ Pass Pass
4♠ Double All Pass
The heart game is makeable (as you will see in a moment), so even though the team was minus
at both tables, the 4♠ bid probably averted a bigger loss for China Red.
Baker led the ♦K, switching to a club at trick two. Hongli Wang won dummy’s ♣A, played a
heart to the ace, followed by a heart ruff, club ruff, heart ruff, club ruff. A diamond to the queen
was followed by a spade to the ace and the ♦A. McCallum had nothing but spades left, so she
got out with a low one. Wang won the ♠J but still have to lose a trump trick for minus 300. That
was 9 IMPs to Baker.

♠ A96532
♥2
♦ 854
♣ A73
♠ J 10 N ♠ Q87
♥ 10 7 4 ♥ KJ8
♦ QJ3 W E ♦ K972
♣ Q9642 S ♣ K 10 5
♠ K4
♥ AQ9653
♦ A 10 6
♣ J8
– – 1♣ 1♥
Pass 1♠ Pass 3♥
All Pass
Michielsen led the ♦Q to Wang’s ace. Declarer played a spade to dummy’s ace and took the heart
finesse. She cashed the trump ace and played a third round. The 3-3 trump split gave her five heart
tricks, two spades and the aces of clubs and diamonds for nine tricks and plus 140.
– – Pass 1♥
Pass 1♠ Pass 2♥
Pass 2♠ Pass 3♠
Pass 4♠ All Pass
Wang led the ♦7, ducked to Ran’s jack. She continued with ♦Q to the ace in dummy. McCallum
played a club to the ace and a heart to the queen, discarding her losing diamond on the ♥A. A
club from dummy was taken by West with the queen. McCallum ruffed the diamond continu-
ation, ruffed a club with dummy’s ♠4 and cashed the ♠K. A heart ruff put her in hand to play
the ♠A, and when the suit divided 3-2, she could claim for the loss of one more trick. Plus 420
meant 7 IMPs to Baker.
The final deal of the set was a difficult one to manage, but Michielsen and Wortel found the
right strain, albeit one level too high (that is, if Deep Finesse had been on lead).

♠ 986
♥ 842
♦ 87
♣ Q9873
♠Q N ♠ AK 7 5 3
♥A ♥ J963
♦ A K J 10 4 W E ♦ 32
♣ AK J 6 5 4 S ♣ 10 2
♠ J 10 4 2
♥ K Q 10 7 5
♦ Q965
♣—
– – Pass Pass
2♣ Pass 2♠ Pass
3♣ Pass 3♥ Pass
3NT Pass 4NT All Pass
As you can see, a heart lead defeats 4NT if South holds onto her ♥10. It’s an easy defense when
you can see all the cards. At the table, Lu started with the ♦8 to her partner’s queen and Michiels-
en’s ace. Unless North had led a singleton diamond, Michielsen now had 10 tricks: five diamonds,
one heart, two spades and two clubs. She earned one more by playing a low club from hand at
trick two. The ♣10 held the trick and Michielsen was soon claiming plus 460.
– – Pass 2♥
4NT Pass 5♣ Pass
6♣ All Pass
Ran didn’t have many good options over Baker’s aggressive 2♥ bid. Ran picked the one that
described her hand and made a reasonable gamble on the slam. If some of East’s high cards had
been in the minors, China Red would have been recording the double-digit swing instead of Baker.
The opening lead was the ♥K. Wang won the ♥A perforce, cashed the ♦A, the ♠Q and the ♦K,
continuing with the ♦J. McCallum ruffed in with the ♣9. Wang overruffed with the ♣10 and
cashed the high spades, pitching diamonds before playing her other trump. When Baker showed
out, Wang had to concede one down for an 11-IMP loss.
After 14 boards, the score was 53.67-6 for the multi-national Baker team.
While the Rosenblum final may have provided somewhat disappointing viewing (except to
the Polish team and their supporters), there were isolated examples of interesting, entertaining or
downright humorous play – here are a few that Barry Rigal spotted:

Board 5. Dealer North. N-S Vul.
♠ AQ72
♥ K543
♦ A632
♣3
♠ 864 N ♠ K J 10 9 5
♥8 ♥ A9 6
♦ 94 W E ♦ J 10 8 5
♣ AJ 9 8 7 5 4 S ♣Q
♠3
♥ Q J 10 7 2
♦ KQ7
♣ K 10 6 2
Open Room
Jassem Multon Mazurkiewicz Zimmermann
– 1♦ 1♠ 2♥
3♠ 4♥ 4♠ Pass
Pass Double All Pass
Zimmermann found the incisive trump lead against 4♠x, but Multon was in a quandary seeing
the clubs in dummy. Playing on trumps would be catastrophic if the clubs were running, so he
ducked the first trump, letting declarer take two heart ruffs and score one heart, two ruffs and
four trumps in hand plus the club ace for -300.
Closed Room
Helgemo Gawrys Helness Klukowski
– 1♦ 1♠ 2♥
2♠ 3♥ Pass 3♠
4♣ 4♥ All Pass
Helgemo’s two-step auction worked very badly for his side (but note how unlucky he was to be
able to get that club call in, since South might well have simply raised to 4♥ at his second turn).
Had West not bid clubs, Klukowski might well have elected to play for a club ruff in hand. As
it was, he won the spade lead and led a club, ducking East’s queen. Back came a diamond, and
Klukowski won in hand and drew trumps, ruffed away West’s last spade, then stripped off West’s
diamond and exited with the club king. West took his ace but had to concede declarer his tenth
trick in the form of the club ten.

♠ A96532
♥2
♦ 854
♣ A73
♠ J 10 N ♠ Q87
♥ 10 7 4 ♥ KJ8
♦ QJ3 W E ♦ K972
♣ Q9642 S ♣ K 10 5
♠ K4
♥ AQ9653
♦ A 10 6
♣ J8
Open Room
– – 1♣ 1♥
Pass 2♠ All Pass
1♣ 2+♣
Zimmermann did not have enough to move over Multon’s only mildly invitational jump and
declarer emerged with nine tricks, +140.
Closed Room
– – 1♦ 1♥
2♦ 2♠ Pass 3♦
Pass 4♠ All Pass
Klukowski stretched to make a cue-bid raise and when declarer received a friendly club lead he
found a nice way to come home against a bad break in either major. He won the lead and finessed
in hearts, ruffed a heart, played ace and king of spades, ruffed another heart, and exited with his
penultimate spade. This way he lost two clubs and a spade but he would have brought home ten
tricks if hearts had split and spades had not.
(For the record, if East has ♦J x or ♦10 x, instead of ♦K x, he can defeat you after you play the
♠Q by winning the ace and shifting to his low diamond, or by cashing his club then playing his
high diamond…or indeed by ducking the ♠Q.)

Board 8. Dealer West. None Vul.
♠ Q8
♥K
♦ A9643
♣ KQJ63
♠ 53 N ♠ A 10 9 6 2
♥ Q J 10 9 2 ♥ 65
♦ J 10 8 5 W E ♦ K2
♣ 10 4 S ♣ A8 7 5
♠ KJ74
♥ A8743
♦ Q7
♣ 92
Open Room
2♥ 2NT Pass 3NT
All Pass
Mazurkiewicz opted to try to set set up his suit, not his partner’s and Multon won the spade lead
cheaply and tried to clear clubs. Mazurkiewicz won the second club and shifted belatedly to hearts,
won by the king.
Now when Multon cashed the third top club and found the bad news he simply had to play
a fourth club, playing for the ♦K to be onside. East wins and gets out with a second heart, won
in dummy for a spade to the queen. If East ducks then declarer is in hand to cash the long club
and can lead a low diamond towards the queen to force East to give you two tricks in the ending.
Multon played for a misdefence instead. He advanced the ♠Q and Mazurkiewicz won to play
back a heart. Although it was possible to endplay West now with a heart to lead diamonds, the
fact that East had the ♦K meant the defenders had five tricks, -50.
Closed Room
Pass 1♦ 1♠ Double
Pass 2♣ Pass 2NT
Pass 3NT All Pass
While a heart lead defeats 3NT you can certainly not blame Helgemo for leading a spade to the
queen and East continued with the spade ten, perhaps hoping that West has started life with ♠7.
Declarer played two rounds of clubs, ducked, and East won the third as Helgemo pitched the ♥Q
– wouldn’t you? Alas this encouraged Helness to shift to a heart, (a diamond scrambles the entries).
Declarer could simply win that trick and play a fourth club. Helness won, and exited with a sec-
ond heart, allowing declarer to win in hand and lead a diamond to the ace. If Helness unblocked
the ♦K the ♦Q would be declarer’s ninth trick, and if he didn’t he would be endplayed with the
♦K to lead spades.

Board 9. Dealer North. E-W Vul.
♠ 86
♥ 32
♦ J97
♣ AQJ942
♠ A K 10 5 3 N ♠ J72
♥ 976 ♥ AK Q 5
♦ 10 2 W E ♦ AK 8 4 3
♣ 865 S ♣ 10
♠ Q94
♥ J 10 8 4
♦ Q65
♣ K73
Open Room
Jassem Multon MazurkiewiczZimmermann
– 3♣ Double 5♣
Double All Pass
One might not approve of Zimmermann’s experiment, but in fairness he was probably losing 10
IMPs whatever he did given what happened in the other room. And Mazurkiewicz did give some
thought to acting over the double of 5♣. The defenders took all their tricks, -1100.
Closed Room
– 3♣ Double Pass
3♠ All Pass
In the other room it would be interesting to see a simulation of West’s action over the double.
Put me down as a 4♠ bidder; but Helgemo did not agree and there are quite a few people who
think his judgment is better than your columnist’s (You might think that, I couldn’t possibly com-
ment. Editor). Either way, that was 14 IMPs out of the blue for Mazurkiewicz.
Fatigue Syndrome
Watching the first segment of the Senior teams finals in Sanya quickly brought to Micke Meland-
er’s mind the fact that the players had been competing for six consecutive days. If they had also
taken part in the Mixed Teams and Pairs they were now up to 13 full days of bridge at the highest
level. Sooner or later fatigue will play a part. So let’s have a look at some of the hands from the
final between Milner and Sternberg in the Seniors to see what they managed to achieve.

♠ 84
♥Q
♦ A Q 10 8 6 4
♣ AKQ9
♠ AK 5 N ♠ 10 2
♥ 85432 ♥ A K 10 7
♦ K3 W E ♦ J972
♣ 742 S ♣ J83
♠ QJ9763
♥ J96
♦5
♣ 10 6 5
Open Room
Schermer Kowalski Chambers Romanski
– 1♦ Pass 1♠
Pass 2♣ Pass 2♠
Pass 4♠ All Pass
John Schermer was on lead on the very first board of the match and decided to start with the king
of spades to see what was going on. Viewing the dummy and looking at his hand he should have
seen the clear danger that declarer might get rid of potential heart losers from dummy’s minors
one way or another, especially with his diamond holding. Schermer, however, continued with a
low trump that went to declarers jack. Romanski now finessed in diamonds, and got to throw
one of his heart losers on the ace of diamonds. When the clubs were 3-3 he could throw a sec-
ond heart loser on the fourth club to claim his almost impossible contract just losing two trumps
and the ace of hearts.
Closed Room
Lall Hamilton Milner Fisher
– 1♦ Pass 2♠
Pass 3♠ All Pass
In the Closed Room, Lall started by collecting the ace and king of trumps before he switched to
a heart. East won his two heart tricks, but when the defense had no ruffs to make it was a claim
for nine tricks when declarer couldn’t go wrong playing sensibly. A great opening for the Milner
team who took an early lead with the 7 IMPs this board gave them.

♠ J32
♥ J765
♦ Q J 10
♣ 974
♠ A7 6 5 N ♠ Q 10
♥ A K Q 10 9 ♥ 8432
♦ 652 W E ♦ 873
♣2 S ♣ K J 10 5
♠ K984
♥—
♦ AK94
♣ AQ863
Open Room
– – – 1♣
1♥ Pass 2♥ Double
2♠ Pass 3♣ Pass
3♥ All Pass
Kowalski led the queen of diamonds, which held the trick, so did the jack that followed. A third
round of diamonds endplayed South, who had to lead away from the ace of clubs or the king of
spades. Romanski eventually cashed the ace of clubs before returning the ace of diamonds. Declarer
ruffed high and discarded a spade from dummy. The ace of spades and a spade ruff followed. In
dummy, Schermer could cash the king of clubs to get rid of another spade loser. Luckily for N/S,
this unfortunate defense didn’t matter that much when North always had to get a trick in hearts
for down one.
Closed Room
– – – 1♣
1♥ Pass 2♥ Double
3♦ Pass 3♥ All Pass
Hamilton led the four of clubs that went to the jack, queen and two. Fisher now shifted to the
king of diamonds, and North played the queen to show the jack, Fisher played back a low dia-
mond and North cashed two tricks in the suit. With four tricks in the bag North now decided to
come to declarer’s aid and played the jack of spades, which went to the queen, king and ace. The
contract also went down here due to the bad break in trumps; a club back would, however, have
made it down two.

♠ Q J 10 5 4
♥ A9
♦ Q943
♣ Q2
♠ 93 N ♠ AK 7 6
♥ K 10 8 ♥ J642
♦ J 10 7 W E ♦ K86
♣ J 10 9 6 4 S ♣ K8
♠ 82
♥ Q753
♦ A52
♣ A753
Open Room
– 1♠ Pass 1NT
All Pass
Schermer led the ten of clubs (Rusinow), declarer covered with the queen from dummy and
East won the trick with his king when declarer ducked. The eight of clubs followed, which won
the trick when all played low. East now shifted to the six of hearts, the queen and king followed
whereupon declarer ducked for a third time.
West now exited with the ten of hearts, forcing dummy to win with the ace. With almost all
possible entries removed from dummy, declarer had little to play for, so he tried the queen of
spades, but East won with the king and exited with a low heart, setting up another trick for the
defense and defeating the contract. One down was 50to E-W.
Closed Room
– Pass 1♦ Pass
Pass 1♠ Pass Pass
2♦ All Pass
In the Closed Room a rather funny auction happened.

North could have decided to defend against one diamond a contract that never should be
allowed to make, but when he balanced with One Spade, Milner’s strongest suit, Lall, who prob-
ably believed the opponents were in at least a 4-3 fit, raised to Two Diamonds in which Milner
was left to play.
The eight of spades was led to the three, ten and king. A heart to the ten and ace now followed
from declarer, North, who couldn’t see what was going on, returned the queen of spades. East
went up with the ace and continued with the seven, ruffing low in dummy when South discarded
a club. It was now time for declarer’s next finesse: a club to the eight, which drew South’s ace.
Finally, South realized it was time to play trumps, but when he played the two that went to the
jack, queen and declarer’s king and it was almost all over.
Declarer, with four tricks, cashed the king of clubs, played a heart to the king and called for

the nine of clubs from dummy. North who probably couldn’t believe that partner held the ace
of diamonds saw no reason to ruff with the nine of diamonds, so he ruffed with the three and
declarer could over-ruff with the six. Declarer could then play his last spade and score then ten of
diamonds “en passant” for his eighth trick to make this impossible contract, what we also might
call an uninteresting push when comparing the results…
♠ 986
♥ 842
♦ 87
♣ Q9873
♠Q N ♠ AK 7 5 3
♥A ♥ J963
♦ A K J 10 4 W E ♦ 32
♣ AK J 6 5 4 S ♣ 10 2
♠ J 10 4 2
♥ K Q 10 7 5
♦ Q965
♣—
Open Room
– – Pass Pass
1♣ Pass 2♥* Pass
2NT Pass 3♣ Pass
4♦ Pass 4NT Pass
5♦ Pass 5NT Pass
6♦ Pass 6♠ All Pass
2♥ Transfer
Lots of noise in the Open Room from East-West, Schermer-Chambers finally crashed in Six Spades
which was an impossible contract to play when the king of hearts was led from South, declarer
finishing a miserable four down.
Closed Room
– – Pass Pass
1♣ Pass 2♥* Pass
3♦ Pass 3NT All Pass
2♥ Transfer
Fisher led the king of hearts which was won in dummy with the ace. Milner now played well
when he led a low club to the ten, still keeping his spade connection between the two hands open.
A diamond to the jack followed, when that held declarer cashed ace and king of diamonds and set
up his fifth by playing a fourth round to South. With five tricks already in, nothing could stop
declarer adding two spades, a diamond and two more clubs for ten tricks. That was 12 IMPs to
Milner, who eventually won the first segment of the final 27-11.

Singing in the Rain
Singin’ in the Rain is a 1952 American musical comedy film starring Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor
and Debbie Reynolds. It offers a lighthearted depiction of Hollywood in the late ‘20s, with the
three stars portraying performers caught up in the transition from silent films to ‘talkies.’
It is ranked as the best musical ever and the fifth greatest American motion picture of all time.
Perhaps the14th Red Bull World Bridge Series Open Pairs will be ranked as one of the best of
all time, and the rain that fell for most of the previous day was more than welcome.
Having spent Thursday trying to combine commentating on the disappointingly one sided
final of the Red Bull Rosenblum Teams while attempting to get Brian Senior discharged from a
downtown hospital in Sanya I settled down yesterday to watch the early boards in the final of the
Open Pairs.
It was not as straightforward as I had hoped.
Firstly, due to Internet connectivity problems there were no running scores available, so you
have no idea which pairs are doing well – the information is displayed outside the playing room,
but that is in the Sheraton and our office is in the MGM.
However, the quality of the field is very high, so whichever table you follow you should see
some exciting bridge. Alas, that was only partly true, as during the first session of ten boards the
Internet was constantly crashing, so I cannot be 100% sure that I am presenting you with an
accurate report of what took place.
Walking over to the Sheraton was an adventure in itself, as the heavy rain left gigantic puddles
that had to be dodged, at the same time keeping an eye open for the cars and lorries that hurtle
along the highway.
I suppose by now you are ready for some hands, so, turning reluctantly to the bridge....
A top was 52, so scores will be expressed in the now standard way, 26/26 representing dead
average.
♠ 542
♥ 92
♦ K975
♣ J963
♠ K Q 10 N ♠ J8
♥ Q7 ♥ KJ64
♦ A Q 10 W E ♦ J842
♣ A 10 8 5 4 S ♣ K72
♠ A9763
♥ A 10 8 5 3
♦ 63
♣Q
Welland Filipowicz Auken Martens
– Pass Pass 1♠
1NT Pass 2♠* Pass
3♣* Pass 3NT All Pass
2♠ Balanced, invitational or 6+clubs

♠ 542 First, this might not be Welland/Auken bidding – Our-
♥ 92 game also had them playing N/S at another table (just
♦ K975 imagine, you could get two tops or bottoms on every
♣ J963
♠ K Q 10 ♠ J8
board – but you would have to be quite a fast mover
N between tables). However, the auction is consistent with
♥ Q7 ♥ KJ64
♦ A Q 10 W E ♦ J842 their methods.
♣ A 10 8 5 4 S ♣ K72 (At other tables South was opening 1♠/2♠/2♥ with
♠ A9763 E/W generally finding a route to 3NT.)
♥ A 10 8 5 3
♦ 63
North led the two of spades and when declarer put
♣ Q up dummy’s jack South won with the ace (it is better to
duck – then, if declarer takes a diamond finesse, clear
the spades on the next round) and returned a spade. Declarer won and played the queen of hearts,
South winning and clearing the spades (if South ducks, declarer plays another heart and if South
ducks that he can play on diamonds for an easy nine tricks).
Declarer won, crossed to dummy with a heart and ran the jack of diamonds. North took the
king and exited with the three of clubs. Declarer won in hand with the ace, cashed the ace of dia-
monds and played the four of clubs. When North followed with the six, up went dummy’s king
– and down went the contract, -50.
That was worth 36/16.
Rodwell Olanski Meckstroth Vainikonis
– Pass Pass 2♥
2NT Pass 3NT All Pass
West did not let the small matter of the lack of a stopper deter him from making the most
descriptive bid available.
North led the two of hearts (low from a doubleton, but theoretically fatal on this layout) and
when South put in the eight declarer won with the queen and played the ten of spades to the jack
and ace (as before South does best to duck).
South returned a spade and declarer won and played a heart to the king and ace. A spade to
declarer’s king (a heart went from dummy) was followed by a club to the king. Declarer cashed
the jack of hearts pitching a club as North parted with a diamond. A diamond to the queen saw
North duck, but declarer simply continued with the ace of diamonds and a diamond, endplay-
ing North who had to lead a club, +400 which scored 9/43.
On Board 3 South held ♠Q6 ♥- ♦K109432 ♣QJ1054. All manner of opening bids, 2NT
(minors) 2♦/3♦/4♦ were in the mix and created varying degrees of havoc, +800 being the top
N/S and -500 the equivalent for E/W, both worth a maximum.
On board 5 E/W held: ♠A542 ♥Q82 ♦AQJ ♣Q98 opposite ♠QJ1083 ♥K10973 ♦4 ♣A7 and
it was all about making the maximum number of tricks.
Pszczola and Mahmood bid 1♠-2♣*-2♥-2♦-3♥-4♦*-4♥-4♠ and South, on lead with ♠K97
♥A65 ♦K632 ♣K43 started with a spade.
Declarer won the trump lead, drew trumps by repeating the finesse and got the hearts right by
playing low to the queen. When North’s jack came up on the next round he could claim +480
and 16.55/35.35.

♠ AKJ63
♥—
♦ A 10 5 3
♣ A 10 6 4
♠ 75 N ♠ 9842
♥ 10 6 4 3 ♥ A9 7 2
♦ Q87 W E ♦ J92
♣ J872 S ♣ Q3
♠ Q 10
♥ KQJ85
♦ K64
♣ K95
Lorentz Mahmood Burgess Pszczola
– 1♠ Pass 2♥*
Pass 2NT Pass 3NT
All Pass
I know East led the two of diamonds and declarer took twelve tricks, +490 and 34/18.
I imagine declarer won in hand, crossed to dummy with a spade and played the king of hearts
pitching a diamond. East can win and subsequently be squeezed, or duck twice and then get
caught in a squeeze without the count.
Only one pair bid 6NT for 52/0, but two reached 6♠ – here is one of the auctions:
Li Auken Sun Welland
– 1♠ Pass 1NT*
Pass 2♣* Pass 2♦*
Pass 2♥* Pass 2♠*
Pass 3♥* Pass 3NT*
Pass 4♣* Pass 6♠
All Pass
1NT Game forcing
2♣ 5+♠ and 4+♦ or 5332or 5440
2♦ Relay
The notes to the incredibly complex Auken/Welland system stop after 2♣, so I am guessing that
the rest was a series of relays.
Declarer won the trump lead with dummy’s queen and ran the king of hearts, pitching a dia-
mond. East won and returned a trump but declarer was not hard pressed to take twelve tricks – I
imagine she simply ruffed a heart and then had twelve tricks. +980 was worth 49/3.

Board 10 Dealer East. All Vul.
♠ J2
♥ J7542
♦ Q2
♣ 10 8 6 5
♠ Q7654 N ♠ 10 3
♥ 83 ♥ A 10 6
♦ A 10 5 W E ♦ K976
♣ 973 S ♣ KJ42
♠ AK98
♥ KQ9
♦ J843
♣ AQ
Lorentz Mahmood Burgess Pszczola
– – 1♦ Double
1♠ Pass 1NT Pass
Pass 2♥ All Pass
East led the ten of spades and Declarer won with dummy’s ace and played on trumps, East duck-
ing the king, winning the next round and playing a second spade. Declarer won in dummy, drew
the outstanding trump (West pitching a diamond) and played the queen of diamonds. East went
up with the king and exited with a club. When dummy’s queen held declarer played the eight of
spades.
At this point the play record stops, but my guess is that West played low and declarer pitched
a diamond. East was down to ♦976 ♣KJ4 and discarded a diamond. Now declarer could ruff a
diamond and the appearance of the ace gave him eleven tricks, +200 and 46/6.
Playing in hearts was the key on this hand, as +170 was worth 41/11.
Only one pair bid 4♥ – Kalita and Nowosadzki:
Vainikonis Kalita Orlanski Nowosadzki
– – 1♣ Double
Pass 1♦* Pass 1NT
Pass 2♦* Pass 2NT
Pass 3♥ Pass 3♠
Pass 4♥ All Pass
East led the ten of spades and declarer won in dummy and played a top heart. East won and fatally
switched to the six of diamonds, West winning and returning the five. East won and played a third
round but declarer won with dummy’s jack, drew trumps ending in hand, took the club finesse,
ruffed a diamond, crossed to the king of spades and ran the nine of spades, +620 – a maximum
52/0 to finish the set.
Holding declarer to nine tricks (one way is for East to play a second spade and then switch to
a club when in on the first round of diamonds) would have given E/W 4/48.

Camouflage
Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration or illumination for conceal-
ment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else.
Camouflage themes recur in modern art, and both figuratively and literally in science fiction
and works of literature.
It can happen that on a bridge hand a player needs to disguise his intentions – take a look at
this fascinating deal from Round 3 of the Open Pairs Semifinal:
N ♠ 10 8 7 4
♥7
W E ♦ AJ 8 3
S ♣ A K 10 5
♠ AQJ
♥ AQ8
♦ KQ9764
♣Q
Hallberg Black
– – 2♦* Double
2♠* 3♥ Pass 3NT
Pass 4♥ All Pass
2♦ Three suited, 4-4-4-1, limited
2♠ Pass or correct
The first question for East is which club honour to lead?
If you play ace for attitude and king for count (and if you don’t you should) then you have a
choice.
So, you lead a club and see the dummy, with its singleton queen of clubs.
What is your agreement now about the meaning of partner’s card?
Many pairs play that when there is a singleton in dummy the defender’s card is suit preference,
but that is by no means a universal approach.
Let us say that E/W are employing standard signals and West follows with the two of clubs.
The natural play for East now is to switch to a spade, and declarer, without pause for thought,
goes up with dummy’s ace, plays the eight of hearts to the jack and advances the ten of diamonds.
How do you defend at matchpoints?
Remember, you are playing standard signals – you will want to know that West played the six
of hearts on the first round of trumps and the six of spades under the ace.
Let us say that you go up with the ace of diamonds and partner follows with the five? Do you
play for partner to have started with a singleton diamond, or give up on that idea and play a spade,
hoping to secure your third trick via the king of spades?
At IMPs this would not be a problem – the diamond ruff and a spade trick is your only hope,
but if you play a diamond and partner cannot ruff then dummy’s diamonds will take care of any
losers in declarer’s hand.

Here is the full deal:
♠ 92
♥ K J 10 9 5 3
♦ 10 2
♣ J98
♠ K653 N ♠ 10 8 7 4
♥ 642 ♥7
♦5 W E ♦ AJ 8 3
♣ 76432 S ♣ A K 10 5
♠ AQJ
♥ AQ8
♦ K Q 9 76 4
♣Q
Look at the situation from declarer’s point of view.
He formed the view that West held the king of spades, and he knew from the bidding that West
must have started with a singleton diamond.
He knew that E/W were playing standard signals, hence his play of the ten of diamonds (if
E/W were using upside down signals then declarer would have played the two of diamonds). By
camouflaging his diamond holding declarer made the situation unclear and when East (after long
thought) played a spade declarer was rewarded.
I discovered that play had followed a similar course at another table, but East had unerringly
played a second diamond to secure the ruff that defeated the contract.
His reasoning was as follows:
West had followed with the two of clubs, an odd number, most probably five; the six of hearts
was unclear, but if it was the start of a trump peter it could be interpreted as a desire to ruff some-
thing; finally partner’s six of spades was likely to show an even number; all the evidence pointed
to West being 5-3-1-4.
Day 15
The Pairs titles will be decided today.
Oops!
In the film Independence Day, there is a scene where the characters played by Will Smith and
Jeff Goldblum, who are about to fly into space in an alien ship when they have the following
exchange: (the flying instructions have been written on piece of paper, but unbeknownst to our
heroes they are upside down).
Captain Steven Hiller: Oops.
David Levinson: What do you mean, oops?
Captain Steven Hiller: Some jerk put this...
David Levinson: Don’t say ‘oops’ ...
Captain Steven Hiller: What do you say we try that again?
David Levinson: Yes, yes. Yes. Without the “oops.” Thataway.
I’m not sure what the bridge version of Oops might be – perhaps it is this deal from the sev-
enth session of the Open Pairs final?

♠7
♥ A7
♦ A Q 10 6 3
♣ J 10 8 6 4
♠ 8652 N ♠ KJ4
♥ 10 8 5 4 2 ♥ 93
♦ 97 W E ♦ J84
♣ Q3 S ♣ A9 7 5 2
♠ A Q 10 9 3
♥ KQJ6
♦ K52
♣K
Lanzarotti Su Manno Li
– 1♦ Pass 1♠
Pass 2♣ Pass 2♥*
Pass 3♣ Pass 4NT*
Pass 5♥* Pass 6NT
All Pass
2♥ Fourth suit forcing
4NT RKCB
5♥ 2 key cards
West led the five of hearts (at first the operator had West leading the three of clubs – the only lead
that is sure to defeat the contract – with East withholding the ace!).
Declarer won with dummy’s ace and missed the chance of immortality when he played the four
of clubs from dummy. When East failed to rise with the ace declarer eventually came to twelve
tricks by taking a spade finesse.
Rather than run the risk losing two tricks in clubs, declarer might have considered the possi-
bility that East might come under pressure.
Cashing four hearts followed by running the diamonds will force East down to ♠KJ4 ♣A9.
When declarer plays dummy’s last diamond East must part with a club. Declarer plays a spade to
the ten and exits with a club to endplay East.
Oops!
Going into the final day of the Red Bull Open Pairs, Chris Willenken and David Berkowitz were
in the hunt for a medal. Could the in-laws (Willenken is married to David’s daughter, Dana)
move up from fourth in the standings?
They got off to a good start.

♠ Q64
♥ K J 10 6 5
♦ A2
♣ 854
♠ K 10 8 7 N ♠ 92
♥ AQ 9 ♥–
♦ K76 W E ♦ QJ8543
♣ KJ6 S ♣ 10 9 5 4 3
♠ AJ53
♥ 87432
♦ 10 9
♣ AQ
Willenken Berkowitz
– 1♥ 3♦ 4♥
All Pass
Berkowitz led the ♣10, taken in dummy with the ace. Declarer played a low trump from
dummy, misguessing by playing the king. That held, but when declarer played a spade to the
jack,Willenken won the king and switched to a diamond.That assured two down and plus 100,
good for 61.54%.
This board renewed their hopes for a place on the podium.
♠J
♥ KQJ3
♦ A Q 10 3 2
♣ A 10 3
♠ K 10 7 3 2 N ♠ AQ 9 8 4
♥ A2 ♥9
♦7 W E ♦ J83
♣ 97542 S ♣ KQ86
♠ 65
♥ 10 8 7 6 5 4
♦ K964
♣J
Berkowitz Willenken
– 1♦ 1♠ 2♦
4♠ 5♦ Pass Pass
5♠ Double All Pass
Berkowitz was headed for minus one if East led his singleton heart at trick one or two. After some
thought in the heated auction, West bid 5♠, doubled by Berkowitz.

♠ J Willenken led his singleton club, taken by his partner
♥ KQJ3 with the ace. Berkowitz thought things over for some
♦ A Q 10 3 2 time before continuing with a low club, suit preference
♣ A 10 3
♠ K 10 7 3 2 ♠ AQ 9 8 4
for diamonds. Willenken ruffed, put Berkowitz in with a
N diamond and ruffed again for plus 300 for an 88% score.
♥ A2 ♥ 9
♦ 7 W E ♦ J83 They nearly split the round with East-West, however,
♣ 97542 S ♣ KQ86 getting a poor score for not balancing against a 2♠- con-
♠ 65 tract, which just made. Minus 110 was worth only 2 of
♥ 10 8 7 6 5 4
♦ K964
52 matchpoints.
♣ J After some other boards that scored poorly because
of what happened at other tables, Berkowitz salvaged a
fine score on this deal to score 80.77%.
♠ J 10 9 7 5 3
♥ AJ
♦ 10 6 4
♣ 86
♠K N ♠ AQ 2
♥ Q98654 ♥ 32
♦ AQ J 5 W E ♦ K983
♣ A4 S ♣ K752
♠ 864
♥ K 10 7
♦ 72
♣ Q J 10 9 3
Willenken Berkowitz
– 2♦ Pass 3♥
Double 3♠ 3NT All Pass
2♦ Multi
3♥ Preempt for North to pass or correct
Willenken’s ♠K was a welcome sight for Berkowitz. After winning trick one in dummy (North
contributing the ♠J), Berkowitz considered his plan for a while before calling for low heart from
dummy. North won the ♥J and could have held Berkowitz to nine tricks by switching to a club,
but he continued with a low spade. Berkowitz won and played another heart, ducked around to
North’s ace. Berkowitz could claim at that point for plus 630 and great score.
With a peek at the hand records or with X-ray vision, Berkowitz could have earned another
80.77% score on the final board of the set.
Looking at this hand ♠AQ1063 ♥QJ ♦A987 ♣J7
You open 1♠ and your left-hand opponent bids 1NT. Partner bid 2♣ and RHO bids 2♥, which
is passed out.
What do you lead?
You know, of course, from the question that leading partner’s suit is not the right answer. Berkow-
itz, did not have the advantage of such a clue. He led his partner’s suit and lost a few matchpoints.
The full deal:

Board 10. Dealer East. Both Vul.
♠ J42
♥ 987432
♦ Q J 10 4
♣–
♠7 N ♠ A Q 10 6 3
♥ 10 6 5 ♥ QJ
♦ 632 W E ♦ A9 8 7
♣ AK 8 6 5 2 S ♣ J7
♠ K985
♥ AK
♦ K5
♣ Q 10 9 4 3
On the lead of the ♣J, declarer covered with the queen, ruffed when West covered and played
two rounds of hearts. Now the ♣10 forced out the ♣A and declarer ruffed again. He played a
diamond to dummy’s king and discarded a spade on the ♣9. Declarer lost only one spade, one
heart and one diamond for plus 170. Holding declarer to three by leading the ♠A and continu-
ing the suit would have resulted in 42 of the 52 matchpoints.
The session ended with Berkowitz and Willenken below average but still in the top 10 with
hopes for a medal.
Roll of Honour
Senior Teams (Rand Cup)
Gold: Milner: Reese Milner (captain), Hemant Lall (USA), Michel Bessis, Philippe Cronier (France),
Apolinary Kowalski, Jacek Romanski (Poland)
Silver: Sternberg: James Marsh Sternberg (captain), Neil Chambers, Billy Eisenberg, Arnold Fisher,
Fred Hamilton, John Schermer (USA)
Bronze: Hackett: Paul Hackett (captain), John Holland, John Sansom (England), Christian Mari
(France)
Bronze: Lewis: Paul Lewis (captain), Ross Grabel, Mark Itabashi, Linda Lewis (USA), Jurek Czy-
zowicz, Dan Jacob (Canada)
Reese Milner retained the title he won in Philadelphia. He became the fifth player to win the
event twice. The first two editions were won by a team containing among others Nissan Rand,
after whom the cup has since been named.
Paul Hacket and John Holland added a bronze to their gold of Philadelphia.
Billy Eisenberg and Fred Hamilton won their second medal in a Rand Cup, again a silver,
twenty years after their first one in Albuquerque.
Senior Pairs
Gold: Henky Lasut, Eddy M F Manoppo (Indonesia)
Silver: Hemant Lall, Reese Milner (USA)
Bronze: Apolinary Kowalski, Jacek Romanski (Poland)
Henky Lasut and Eddy Manoppo have previously won five silvers and one bronze medal at
World Championships, but this was Indonesia’s first world title in Bridge.
So far, no one has managed to win more than one medal in a World Senior Pairs Championship.

Women Teams (McConnell Cup)
Gold: Baker: Lynn Baker, Karen McCallum (USA), Sally Brock, Nicola Smith (England), Marion
Michielsen, Meike Wortel (Netherlands), Cenk Tuncok NPC
Silver: China Red Team: Lu Yan, Ran Jing Rong,Wang Hongli,Wang Wen Fei,Wu Shaoyong,
Zhang Yu (China), Yang Xiaojing (coach)
Bronze: Moss: Sylvia Moss (captain), Lynn Deas, Hjordis Eythorsdottir, Joann Glasson, Kerri Sanborn,
Janice Seamon-Molson (USA)
Bronze: Pertamina Ep: Rury Andhani, Lusje Oha Bojoh, Suci Amita Dewi, Kristina Wahyu Mur-
niati, Conny Sumampouw, Julita Grace Tueje (Indonesia),Veterano Sitompul (NPC)
Lu Yan and Wang Hongli added a McConnell silver to their gold in Philadelphia, Janice Sea-
mon-Molson added a bronze to her gold from Verona. Lynn Deas and Kerri Sanborn’s bronze
came after her gold in Montreal. So far, only Jill Meyers and Tobi Sokolow have won three med-
als in a McConnell Cup, and just one player has two golds: Marinesa Letizia (1994 & 2006)
Women Pairs
Gold: Liu Shu, Zhou Tao (China)
Silver: Huang Yan, Gan Lin (China)
Bronze: Suci Amita Dewi, Kristina Wahyu Murniati (Indonesia)
WBF Swiss Teams
1. Netherlands: Berend van den Bos, Danny Molenaar, Richard Ritmeijer, Magdalena Ticha,
Joris van Lankveld, Tim Verbeek (Netherlands), Ton Bakkeren (NPC, coach)
2. Texan Aces: Gopal Venkatesh (captain), Howard Liu, Adam Meyerson, Jyotindra Shah,
Padmanabhan Sridharan, Srivnivasan Sunderram (USA/India), Maddhav Prabhu (coach)
3. Gentle: Chia-Sheng Ho, Allen Chao, Rong-Jeng Chen, Jerry Huang (Chinese Taipei)
Mixed Pairs Final B
1. Ronnie Barr, Eldad Ginossar (Israel)
2. Marie Eggeling,Thomas Gotard (Germany)
3. Alison Wilson (USA), Ricco van Prooijen (Netherlands)
Open Pairs Final B (played in one tournament)
1. Cheung Lik, Fung Chi Pong (Hong Kong)
2. Simon Gillis (England), Boye Brogeland (Norway)
3. Li Hanxiao, Fu Bo (China)
Women Pairs Final B (played in one tournament)
1. Li Hanxiao, Fu Bo (China)
Senior Pairs Final B (played in one tournament)
1. Ervin Otvosi, Geza Szappanos (Hungary)
Nine players go home with two medals around their necks:
Marion Michielsen won two gold medals (Mixed and Women teams).That makes three world
titles, she won a World Junior Pairs before this.
Meike Wortel, Reese Milner and Hemant Lall won a gold and a silver, as did Kerri Sanborn.
The Mixed Pairs was Sanborn’s seventh World Title, she has a total of 14 medals.
Roy Welland and Sabine Auken won gold and bronze. Sabine now has 16 medals at World
Championships, the mixed teams providing her with a fourth world title.
Finally, Suci Amita Dewi, Kristina Wahyu Murniati from Indonesia won bronze in both the
Women’s teams and Pairs.

 Intermediate
A few others have added to an already impressive total number of medals: Nicola Smith, who
now has 14 world medals, seven of which are gold and Sally Brock added another gold to her
collection.
Fulvio Fantoni has 13 medals and six titles. Claudio Nunes has only 11 medals, five titles.
Geir Helgemo has 15 medals but only three of them are gold ones. Tor Helness has 12 medals,
but this includes four golds. (He won the 2008 world individual ahead of Helgemo.)
Christian Mari joins this elite company with 10 World Championship medals, three of them
are gold.
Victory in the Rosenblum gave Piotr Gawrys his fifth world title, and his ninth medal. His
partner, Michal Klukowski’s is only on his second world title, after the under-20 championship
in 2012, but he is only eighteen — by far the youngest Open World Champion ever!
Test Your
Defence
with Julian Pottage Solutions on page 98
♠ Q94 ♠ Q97
1 ♥ K9853 2 ♥ Q3
♦ Q4 ♦ K Q J 10 5 3
♣ J93 ♣ 10 4
N ♠ K J 10 3 N ♠ A8 6 2
♥ A 10 6 ♥ 10 8 7 6 3 2
W E ♦ K J 10 2 W E ♦ 6
S ♣ 62 S ♣ K8
WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH
– – – 1♣ – – – 1NT*
Pass 1♥ Double 3NT* Pass 3NT All Pass
All Pass 1NT 15-17
3NT Suggests a long strong club suit Partner leads the three of clubs. You win with the king,
Partner leads the eight of diamonds (second and fourth), seeing the five on your left. What do you return?
covered by the queen and king. What do you return and
what do you plan to discard on the clubs?

 Obituary
Jean-Claude Beineix 1941-2014
Jean-Paul Meyer
In the church of Pont L’Evêque in Normandy, France,on January the 2nd, a big crowd
gathered; among the bridge champions present were Gianarrigo Rona, President WBF,
Yves Aubry, EBL President, Patrick Grenthe FFB President, José Damiani, WBF Emeritus
President.
All were there to bid farewell to Jean-Claude Beineix who passed away on Christmas day.
His career as an of icer of bridge was amazing. It all began in 1963 when the maths teacher
in Saintes used bridge to try to make his pupils understand mathematical problems.
President of the local club in Royan (South-West of France) President of Charentes-Poitou
district, a member of the council and then the Vice-President of the French Federation.
He was elected President of the FFB (1989-1995) and acted afterwards as General del-
egate of the FFB (1995-2003).
Meanwhile he was elected at the EBL council in1993 and became irst Vice-President in
1995. He was the EBL delegate at the WBF council till 2007.
He was elected to the WBF committee of Honour in 1998.
He was known worldwide for his ability in organizing international events for the EBL
and WBF, he was always helpful to every player. He was in charge of TD development as
late as the last world series in China in October 2014.
He was also a very good player, for the last nine years he held the highest rank in France
première série nationale. He earned a Bronze medal as a member of the French senior
team in the 2001 Championships in Tenerife.
He was married to Odile and had two sons
David and Thierry from his irst marriage,
who gave him ive grand-children.
He was very fond of sports and was proud
of his nephew, Luc Leblanc, the world
cycling champion in 1994.
A friend to all bridge players, he was a very
much appreciated and admired character
on the international bridge scene.
Jean-Claude Beineix with his wife

Odile in Sanya last year

 Obituary

GREAT HANDS FROM THE PAST
b y R i c h a r d F l e e t
THE GREAT GHESTEM

The name Ghestem is nowadays associated with a bridge convention of some, but not much, the-
oretical merit and of virtually no practical value. The Ghestem 3♣ overcall to show a specific two
suiter has the theoretical defect that the useful natural 3♣ bid is no longer available and the mas-
sive practical defect that it is not especially easy to memorise – on one famous occasion, Ghestem
himself forgot it!
Fifty to sixty years ago, it was a different matter. Pierre Ghestem and his partner René Bacherich
were one of the top pairs in the world. In the course of a ten year period, they won four European
championships, the Bermuda Bowl and the World Teams Olympiad. Ghestem and Bacherich,
who employed the Monaco relay system which Ghestem himself invented, were notoriously slow
players, and the combination of the unfamiliarity of their methods together with their deliberate
tempo made them difficult to play against.
This month’s hand is taken from the 1961 Bermuda Bowl encounter between USA and France
and was reported by Terence Reese in the May 1961 British Bridge World (he translated the work
of J Gesztesi who was writing for Le Bridgeur).
Ghestem, sitting South, was the dealer at love all.
♠ A9753
♥ J6
♦ QJ86
♣ A6
♠ KQ842 N ♠ 10
♥ 10 5 3 ♥ Q72
♦ A 10 4 W E ♦ K9752
♣ K5 S ♣ J 10 7 3
♠ J6
♥ AK984
♦3
♣ Q9842
For the USA, Sidney Silodor had played in 2♥ and had made nine tricks after taking the right
view on the second round of clubs. The auction is not recorded, but it seems quite likely that Sil-
odor passed on the first round and bid 2♥ after 1♠-Pass-1NT – had Silodor opened, it is difficult
to imagine North (Norman Kay) being satisfied with a 2♥ contract.
Ghestem opened 1♥ and Peter Leventritt overcalled 1♠. In those far-off days, North was able
to double for penalties and did so. Howard Schenken removed to 1NT: this seems a dubious
move, since the French seemed to have the balance of the strength and 1NT was an easy contract
to double, whereas 1♠ had not yet been passed out.
The 1NT bid came to no harm, however. Ghestem bid 2♣, Bacherich jumped to 3♥ (2NT
seems a more natural choice) and Ghestem, leaving nothing unbid, went on to game – maybe 3♥
was forcing in the French methods.
Leventritt led a trump, which must have looked to him like a safe lead. Dummy played low,
Schenken contributed the queen and Ghestem won. Per the reporter “I pass over the next fifteen
minutes, which will surprise no-one who knowns how carefully Ghestem forms his plan …”.

Eventually, Ghestem decided to play a diamond to the queen and king. Schenken exited with
the ten of spades, which looks a natural play. Ghestem and Leventritt both covered and the trick
was won on the table. The next three tricks consisted of a diamond ruff, a heart to the jack and a
second diamond ruff. Now, a third round of trumps and a spade towards dummy. This was the
end postion and it made no difference what Leventritt did:
♠ 975
♥—
♦J
♣ A6
♠ K842 N ♠—
♥— ♥—
♦— W E ♦ 97
♣ K5 S ♣ J 10 7 3
♠6
♥—
♦—
♣ Q9842
If he won the spade, he would have to lead a club or a spade giving declarer three black suit tricks
and ten in all. Leventritt instead tried the effect of ducking, but this was no better: Ghestem won
with dummy’s seven, cashed the jack of diamonds and played the ace of clubs. Seeing that he was
about to be end-played, Leventritt unblocked the king so the queen was declarer’s tenth trick.
Apparently, “Ghestem won long applause from the Bridgerama audience”, and he truly deserved
it.
new books from

Master Point Press the bridge publisher
Winning Duplicate Accurate Cardplay Imaginative Cardplay Bidding at Bridge: A

Tactics Quizbook
Terence Reese and Terence Reese and
David Bird Roger Trézel Roger Trézel Barbara Seagram
and David Bird
AVAILABLE FROM CHESS & BRIDGE

DISCUSS
DISCUSSTODAY’S
TODAY’SBRIDGE
BRIDGEISSUES
ISSUESON
ONWWW.BRIDGEBLOGGING.COM
WWW.BRIDGEBLOGGING.COM

ZZZVYHQVNEULGJHVHHQJ
>LSJVTL[V[OL:^LKPZO
)YPKNLMLZ[P]HSPUkYLIYV1\S`[O
[V(\N\Z[UK¶ÔLYLTHUÙL^
[V\YUHTLU[ZZ[HY[LHJOKH`
( [[OL:^LKPZO)YPKNLMLZ[P]HSMV\YZPKLL]LU[ZZ[HY[
L]LY`KH`;OLYLHYLTVUL`WYPaLZPUHSS[V\YUHTLU[Z
;OL )YPKNLMLZ[P]HS RPJRZVMM ^P[O [OL PU[LYUH[PVUHS [LHTZ [V\YUHTLU[ ¶
;OL*OHPYTHU»Z*\W¶HUK[OLWHPYZ[V\YUHTLU[;OL.VSKTPULJSVZLZ[OL
MLZ[P]HS0UV[OLY^VYKZ[OLYLHYLWSLU[`VMVWWVY[\UP[PLZOLYLMVYIYPKNL
WSH`LYZ1\Z[WPJRHUKJOVVZL
;OL]LU\LPZkYLIYVHILH\[PM\SJP[ÌL[^LLU:[VJR
OVSTHUK.V[OLUI\YN;OLJP[`PZ^LSSJVUULJ[LK
I`[YHPUMYVT[OLZLJP[PLZHZ^LSSMYVT(YSHUKH
HPYWVY[OYZ-VYJVUULJ[PVUZZLL^^^ZQZL
µ7KH6ZHGLVK%ULGJHIHVWLYDOLVVLPSO\IDQWDVWLF
,UHDOO\GRKRSHWRFRPHEDFNLQDQHDUIXWXUH
7KHSOD\LVDWKLJKHVWOHYHODQGWKHRUJDQL]DWLRQ
LVZRUGFODVV
0LFKDHO%\UQH(QJODQG&KDLUPDQ·V&XSZLQQHU

VIDEO OF THE MONTH 3
14th Red Bull World Bridge Series, Sanya, China
Following on from the Mixed Teams Championship the Mixed Pairs was won by Kerri Sanborn and
Jie Zhao (USA/China) with the silver medal going to Jacek Pszzola and Mieke Wortel
(USA/Netherlands) while Nan Wang playing with Bangxiang Zhang (China) took the Bronze Medal.
Three world champions were crowned on 23rd October, as the Polish team led by Marcin
Mazurkiewicz (Piotr Gawrys, Stanislaw Golebiowski, Krzysztof Jassem, Michal Klukowski, Marcin
Mazurkiewicz, Wlodzimierz Starkowski, Marcin Mazurkiewicz) defeated Monaco to win the Rosenblum
Cup (Open Teams), the Lynn Baker team (Lynn Baker, Karen McCallum, Sally Brock, Nicola Smith, Meike
Wortel, Marion Michielsen, Cenk Tuncok Captain) beat China Red for the McConnell Cup (Women’s) and
the Reese Milner squad (Reese Milner, Hemant Lall, Apolinary Kowalski, Michel Bessis, Jacek Romanski,
Philippe Cronier) defeated Jim Sternberg and company in the Rand Senior Teams.
In the Open Pairs, Ehud Friedlander and Inon Liran took the Gold Medal, Jacek Kalita and
Michal Nowosadzki the Silver and Cedric Lorenzini and Thomas Bessis the Bronze
In the Women’s Pairs the Gold medal went to Liu Shu and Zhou Tao, the Silver to Huang Yan
and Gan Lin and the Bronze to Kristina Wahyu Murniati and Suci Amita Dewi
In the Senior Pairs Eddy M F Manoppo and Henky Lasut won Gold, Reese Milner and Hemant
Lall the Silver and Apolinary Kowalski and Jacek Romanski the Bronze Medals.
Click the image to the left to play this

month’s featured videos:
No breaks for Bridge Players
The Mixed Pairs Final
From Chinese TV
75 February 2015 Bridge Magazine

 Intermediate
The Abbot’s Extended Vacation

David Bird
I had a very strange email from the Abbot this morning,’ said Brother Xavier. ‘His original
plans were to stay at the Bozwambi Mission for two weeks or so. Now he says he won’t be
back for three months!’
‘Is he serious?’ asked Brother Lucius. ‘On his previous visits he found the heat intolerable. He
came back early, if I remember rightly.’
‘According to him, the Upper Bhumpopo team have qualified to play in the Bermuda Bowl
finals,’ continued Brother Xavier. ‘Totally ludicrous, of course. Anyway, he claims they have insisted
he stays in Africa to coach them.’
Brother Lucius raised an eyebrow. ‘Not an immediately convincing scenario,’ he declared. ‘The
Bermuda Bowl’s being held in India, isn’t it? You don’t think he’s actually planning to go to it, do
you? You know, to act as coach while they play in the event?’
‘The Bozwambi tribe don’t have a penny between them,’ said Brother Xavier. ‘Where on earth
would they find the necessary funds?’
‘Where indeed?’ said Brother Lucius.
*****
Meanwhile, an intense practice session was under way at the Bozwambi Mission. The Abbot, who
would be partnering the Parrot in the Upper Bhumpopo team for the Bermuda Bowl, faced two
other team members, Mrs Okoku and Miss Nabooba. The players had just picked up these cards:
Dealer East. Love all.
♠ Q63
♥ 983
♦ 8743
♣ K52
♠─ N ♠ AJ 5 4
♥ 654 ♥ K 10 7
♦ K Q 10 9 6 W E ♦ AJ 2
♣ 98643 S ♣ Q J 10
♠ K 10 9 8 7 2
♥ AQJ2
♦5
♣ A7
The Mrs The Miss
Parrot Okoku Abbot Nabooba
– – 1NT 2♠
2NT Pass 3♣ Pass
Pass 3♠ Pass 4♠
All Pass
The Parrot led the king of diamonds and Mrs Okoku laid out her dummy. ‘Not much here,’ she
observed. ‘I’d raisin’ spades straight away with anythin’ useful.’

 Intermediate
♠ Q63 Miss Nabooba nodded. Dummy had two good cards;
♥ 983 that should be enough. When the defenders persisted
♦ 8743 with diamonds, she ruffed in her hand with the ♠7. It
♣ K52
♠ ─ ♠ AJ 5 4
probably wouldn’t make any difference, but nothing
N could be lost by keeping her lowest trump.
♥ 654 ♥ K 10 7
♦ K Q 10 9 6 W E ♦ AJ 2 When the ♠10 was led, the Parrot discarded a club. He
♣ 98643 S ♣ Q J 10 turned to observe the 20-year-old declarer. Was she look-
♠ K 10 9 8 7 2 ing annoyed at the bad trump break? It didn’t seem so.
♥ AQJ2
♦ 5
‘Play the three-spot, partner,’ Miss Nabooba instructed.
♣ A7 The Abbot won with the jack of trumps and forced
declarer again with his last diamond. Miss Nabooba
ruffed with the eight, again preserving the two of trumps in her hand. On this occasion there was
a precise purpose to the move. It would enable her to force a trump entry with dummy’s remain-
ing ♠Q6.
When Miss Nabooba led the ♠2 to dummy’s ♠6, the Abbot won with the ace and had no more
diamonds to play. He switched to the club queen and Miss Nabooba won in hand with the ace.
A trump to the queen allowed her to finesse the queen of hearts and she then drew the Abbot’s
last trump. Returning to dummy with the king of clubs, she repeated the heart finesse. The ace
of hearts dropped the outstanding cards in the suit and the game was hers.
‘Nice play, partner!’ congratulated Mrs Okoke. ‘You mebbe gettin’ into daily bulletin if you
mekkin’ such plays in Bermuda Bowl.’
‘Everyone doin’ same play in event like that,’ Miss Nabooba replied. ‘Weren’t too difficult.’
The Abbot gazed at his future young teammate with new-found respect. Goodness me, how on
earth had she learnt to play the cards like that? Even he would have been pleased to rise to such
heights. There was another thing that puzzled him. How did she manage to look so elegant and
cool all the time, with the temperature around 40°C? It wasn’t his idea of fun. Presumably they
were accustomed to the heat.
A few deals later, Miss Nabooba ended as declarer in another spade game:
Dealer West. Game all.
♠ K954
♥ Q974
♦ A2
♣ 642
♠8 N ♠ 62
♥ AJ 8 3 2 ♥ 10 5
♦ KQJ6 W E ♦ 10 9 8 4
♣ AQ 8 S ♣ J 10 9 5 3
♠ A Q J 10 7 3
♥ K6
♦ 753
♣ K7
The Mrs The Miss
Parrot Okoku Abbot Nabooba
1♥ Pass Pass 2♠
Double 4♠ All Pass

 Intermediate
♠ K954 The Parrot led the king of diamonds and down went the
♥ Q974 dummy. ‘Three useful cards for you, partner,’ observed
♦ A2 Mrs Okoku, adjusting her orange headband. ‘Had to
♣ 642
raise to game.’
♠ 8 N ♠ 62
♥ AJ 8 3 2 ♥ 10 5 The Abbot said nothing. Was making gratuitous com-
♦ KQJ6 W E ♦ 10 9 8 4 ments about the dummy normal practice in the Okoku
♣ AQ 8 S ♣ J 10 9 5 3 household? It wouldn’t go down very well at the Ber-
♠ A Q J 10 7 3 muda Bowl. As captain of the team, of course, it would
♥ K6 be his responsibility to correct such unfortunate habits.
♦ 753
♣ K7 ‘Obvious bid, obvious bid!’ screeched the Parrot.
The Abbot winced. Surely the Bermuda Bowl tourna-
ment directors would make allowance for the fact that his partner was a bird, rather than a human
being? What if an opponent needed some convention to be explained? First thing after this ses-
sion, he would make a discreet enquiry as to whether the Parrot had learnt to write yet.
Miss Nabooba, who had no wish for East to gain the lead subsequently, allowed the diamond
king to win the first trick. She won the next diamond, crossed to the ace of trumps and led the
six of hearts towards dummy. When the Parrot played low, Miss Nabooba won with dummy’s
queen. She returned to her hand with the trump queen, West discarding a heart. A diamond ruff
in dummy eliminated that suit and she then played a heart, pleased to see the ten appear on her
right. The Parrot captured the king with his ace and rocked backwards and forwards on his perch,
uncertain what to return.
‘Don’ mekkin’ no difference,’ said Miss Nabooba. ‘I got king of clubs an’ heart return settin’ up
dummy’s nine for club discard.’
The Parrot, quick to recognise a well-played hand when he saw one, nodded his acceptance of
the claim. Could they have beaten the contract in some way? The diamond king lead certainly
hadn’t helped much, allowing her to duck the trick in the safe hand. A heart or a club lead would
be useless, obviously. Perhaps a trump lead would have beaten it. It seemed that it might.
The Abbot caught Miss Nabooba’s eye. ‘Your cardplay has improved remarkably since my last
visit,’ he said. ‘I hope you don’t mind me asking, but how did you manage it?’
‘Many good players at Likhasa University,’ she replied. ‘In my last year, I was captain of bridge
team.’
‘Ah, you went to university,’ said the Abbot. ‘What were you studying?’
‘Psychology,’ she replied, peering into the Abbot’s eyes. ‘I findin’ it very useful at the bridge table.’
‘Yes, indeed,’ said the Abbot. More useful than his own second-class degree in Theology. Still,
at least that had paved the way for his successful career at St Titus.
‘Shall we stoppin’ for small refreshment?’ enquired Mrs Okoku, lifting a brightly coloured bag
onto the table. ‘I bringin’ my special recipe fruit cake. Dates, sunflower seeds, okra, banana and
pineapple. Bit of ginger too and touch of Zbolwumba brandy.’
By the time that play restarted, the Abbot had a revised opinion of his female team-mates. Mrs
Okoku’s cake was somewhat over-rich, it was true, but that was better than being too dry. As for
Miss Nabooba, the standard of her play was a revelation. Perhaps he should reset his target for
their expected finishing position in Chennai.
The Abbot was soon installed in a spade game:

 Intermediate
Dealer West. Love all.
♠ 8654
♥ A62
♦ 53
♣ AQ64
♠ 92 N ♠ A7
♥ K J 10 9 7 5 ♥ 84
♦ A8 W E ♦ 10 9 7 6 4 2
♣ K95 S ♣ 10 8 7
♠ K Q J 10 3
♥ Q3
♦ KQJ
♣ J32
Miss The Mrs The
Nabooba Parrot Okoku Abbot
1♥ Pass Pass 1♠
2♥ 3♥ Pass 4♠
All Pass
After some thought Miss Nabooba led the ace of diamonds, continuing with a second diamond.
The Abbot won in his hand and led the ten of trumps. This ran to Mrs Okoku’s ace, he was sur-
prised to see, and back came a third round of diamonds, ruffed with West’s ♠9.
The Abbot had rarely encountered such bad luck. Now, what should he throw from dummy
on this trick? He would have to hope that West didn’t have a safe trump exit. If she exited with
a heart, he could run this to the queen and... ah, it seemed that West could then be subjected to
a squeeze. She surely held six hearts for her rebid. After a successful finesse of the queen of clubs,
he could cash the ace of clubs. If the king did not fall, he would return to his hand with a trump
and play the remaining trumps. The ♣J would act as a single threat and dummy’s ♥A6 would be
the extended threat. Brilliant!
What if West chose to exit with a club instead? He could run this to his jack and a club finesse
would then give him four club tricks if West had started with three clubs to the king.
It seemed to the Abbot that he could not afford to discard a heart or a club from the dummy
on the present trick. With the air of a performer who had played in every Bermuda Bowl within
living memory, he pointed a finger at the dummy. ‘Underruff, please, partner.’
Miss Nabooba did not like the look of this strange play. Eventually she chose to exit with a low
club and the Abbot scored four club tricks for the contract.
‘King of hearts exit no good?’ queried Mrs Okoku.
‘No, no,’ replied Miss Nabooba. ‘Hand plays itself. He wins, draws the last trump, plays heart
queen and rest of the trumps.’
‘Quite so,’ said the Abbot. ‘The underruff was automatic at our level. After that, the remain-
ing play is easy.’
If only the Witchdoctor had been here to witness the deal, thought the Abbot. Did the man
not realize the implication of the title ‘English Grandmaster’? It wasn’t just a question of jogging
along, entering tournament after tournament. Only someone who regularly played the spots off
the cards could hope to reach such an exalted level.
Play continued and not long afterwards the Abbot had another chance to display his card-
playing prowess.

 Intermediate
Dealer North. East-West game.
♠7
♥ KQ86
♦ AJ843
♣ A K 10
♠ Q J 10 5 4 N ♠ K932
♥ J95 ♥─
♦ Q75 W E ♦ K962
♣ 62 S ♣ Q8753
♠ A86
♥ A 10 7 4 3 2
♦ 10
♣ J94
Miss The Mrs The
Nabooba Parrot Okoku Abbot
– 1♦ Pass 1♥
Pass 3♣ Pass 3♥
Pass 4NT Pass 5♥
Pass 7♥ All Pass
Miss Nabooba led the queen of spades and the Parrot painstakingly laid out his dummy. The
Abbot raised an eyebrow when the moderate diamonds appeared. Goodness me, bidding a grand
slam was a bit of a punt, wasn’t it? There might have been an unavoidable diamond loser.
The Abbot was aware of the importance of this deal. If he screwed up a makeable grand slam,
the Witchdoctor was certain to get a full report and the whole Chennai adventure might be put
in doubt. How should he plan the play?
There were ten tricks on top and two spade ruffs would make it twelve. For a thirteenth trick
he would either have to rely on a club finesse or perhaps set up an extra diamond winner. Several
entries would be needed to dummy to benefit from a 4-3 diamond break. It seemed that he had
better leave the trump suit alone for the moment.
Aware that the other three players were eyeing him with no great confidence, the Abbot ruffed
a spade in dummy at trick 2. When he played the king of trumps, Mrs Okoku discarded a club.
The Abbot played dummy’s ace of diamonds and ruffed a diamond in his hand. He ruffed his
last spade and then played dummy’s queen of trumps. Everyone followed to a third round of dia-
monds, ruffed in his hand, and he then drew West’s last trump with the ace.
The Abbot wiped the perspiration from his brow. He was now going to make the contract.
Excellent! Just imagine if he had played this deal in the Bermuda Bowl. The bulletin editor would
soon be searching for him, keen to note down the exact line of play. He crossed to dummy with
the ace of clubs, established the thirteenth diamond with another ruff and then claimed the con-
tract. The king of clubs would serve as an entry for a club discard.
‘Sorry, partner,’ exclaimed Miss Nabooba. ‘I needed to lead a club, I think.’
The Abbot was a happy man. What an unbelievable display of timing to make a grand slam like
that! No-one could deny that he would be full value as a playing member of the team. So what
if he had to put up with verbal abuse from the Witchdoctor, along the lines of his being a ‘dead-
weight sponsor’. No-one would know about that, back in England! Playing in a Bermuda Bowl
would be a fitting climax to his distinguished bridge career. He would be able to refer to it until
his dying day – long may the Good Lord delay it!

GET 25% OFF
THIS MONTH’S
NEW RELEASES
Bidding at Bridge: Winning Imaginative Accurate

A Quizbook Duplicate Cardplay Cardplay
Barbara Seagram & Tactics Terence Reese & Terence Reese &
David Bird David Bird Roger Trézel Roger Trézel
160 pages, paperback 224 pages, paperback 280 pages, paperback 224 pages, paperback
RRP £9.95 RRP £12.95 RRP £13.95 RRP £12.95

BM Online Price BM Online Price BM Online Price BM Online Price
£7.46 £9.71 £10.46 £9.71
FURTHER DETAILS ON THESE TITLES ARE GIVEN ON THE NEXT PAGE
ENTER “BM25FEB” IN COUPON CODE AT

CHECKOUT TO CLAIM YOUR 25% DISCOUNT
TO ORDER VISIT OUR WEBSITE: WWW.BRIDGESHOP.COM
Reader Offers
GENERAL INTEREST 3
Now with
extra discount!
contract for a lucrative overtrick? Should you risk giving
away an extra trick in defense, hoping that you can beat
the contract? This is a book that every novice bridge player
needs to read before that first pairs game at their local club.
Bidding at Bridge: A Quizbook

Barbara Seagram & David Bird, 160 pages
RRP £9.95 BM Online Price £7.46
Declarer Play at Bridge: a Quizbook, by the same author
team, was named the 2013 Book of the Year by the
American Bridge Teachers’ Association. Building on the Accurate Cardplay
success of that title, this book gives the near-beginner a Terence Reese & Roger Trézel, 280 pages
chance to practice the principles on which sound bidding RRP £12.95 BM Online Price £9.71
is based, from the opening bid onward.
In the 1970s, two of the best bridge writers of all time
This is not just a series of problems, however. Each collaborated on a series of eight small books on aspects of
section contains a brief introduction to its topic, and the card play at bridge. These books have long been out of print,
ideas are reinforced with carefully explained solutions and are being republished now in two combined volumes,
and helpful tips throughout. edited and updated by BRIDGE’s editor Mark Horton.
Bridge teachers and students will find this book invaluable.
Accurate Cardplay is the first of these two books, and
comprises the following titles from the original series:
Safety Plays in Bridge; Blocking and Unblocking Plays in
Bridge; Elimination Play in Bridge; When to Duck and
When to Win in Bridge.
Imaginative Cardplay
Terence Reese & Roger Trézel, 280 pages
Imaginative Cardplay is the second of these two books, and
comprises the following titles from the original series:
Master the Odds in Bridge; Snares and Swindles in Bridge;
Those Extra Chances in Bridge; The Art of Defense in Bridge.
Winning Duplicate Tactics
David Bird, 224 pages
Duplicate bridge is a different game. It’s true that you
can get by if you play exactly the same way as you would
in a home social game or a team match. Duplicate pairs
is a highly competitive game, though, and few
contestants are happy just to ‘get by’. They want to win
— not just once in a while but regularly!
To be successful at duplicate pairs, you must adjust your
bidding. You must know when to compete vigorously,
taking a risk in doing so. You must also know when it is
right to bid conservatively. You have to understand which
contract to choose in various situations. In the play and
defense you meet similar dilemmas. Should you risk the
82 February 2015 Bridge Magazine

 Intermediate
PARTNERSHIP PROFILE
In this issue the Editor takes a look at the English Senior Trials.
The trials were staged at the West Midlands Bridge Club, 19 – 21 December 2014 and the contest
was very close, the winners being only 0.28 VP clear of second. The field included Brian Senior, Sally
Brock and Nicola Smith who had all been involved in the SportAccord Mind Games in Beijing which
only finished on17 December.
The Hands
(This month all the deals were played at IMPs.)
Hand 1. Dealer West. Both Vul.
♠ 10 6 4 N ♠ AQ 9 8 5
♥ A 10 9 7 6 ♥Q
♦K W E ♦ J 10 9 8 5 4
♣ K985 S ♣Q
West East
Hallberg Holland
Pass 1♠
2♥ 2♠
4♠ Pass
South, who held ♠K72 ♥J82 AQ73 ♣A74 led the two of spades. Declarer was allowed to win
in hand with the five and played a diamond, South taking the ace and switching to the jack of
hearts. Declarer took dummy’s ace and played the ten of hearts, covered by the king and ruffed.
After ruffing a diamond declarer pitched a club on the nine of hearts. Now the winning line is to
play a spade to the ace and give up a diamond.
However, declarer played a spade to the queen and South won and now fatally played the ace of
clubs (a low club leaves declarer without resource). Declarer ruffed, cashed the ace of spades and gave
up a diamond, leaving South to choose between surrendering the last three tricks to dummy or declarer.
West East
Brock Smith
Pass 1♠
2♣* 2♠
Pass
2♣ Natural or a three card limit raise.
Once again South led the two of spades, this time for the jack and queen. A diamond saw South
take the ace and switch to the jack of hearts, declarer winning with the ace and continuing with
the ten. When that was covered she ruffed, ran the jack of diamonds pitching a club, played the
ten of diamonds covered and ruffed, pitched a club on the nine of hearts and played a spade to
the ace for a comfortable eleven tricks.
Recommended auction: 1♦-1♥-1♠-1NT-2♠-4♠.
I have never been a fan of starting this type of hand with the shorter suit. Although 4♠ is noth-
ing to write home about it seems right to bid it playing for IMPs.
Marks: 4♠10, 3♠ 7.
Running score: Senior Service 10.

 Intermediate
Hand 2. Dealer East. None Vul.
♠ AK N ♠ J9642
♥ K9 ♥ AQ 2
♦ K J 10 7 4 3 W E ♦ A2
♣ AK 7 S ♣ 10 8 2
If East passes South opens 3♥. If East opens 1♠ South bids 2♠ (♥+♦/♣)
Myers Sheehan
– – Pass 3♥
3NT All Pass
After East’s perfectly reasonable, albeit somewhat old fashioned Pass South’s preemptive strike
based on ♠5 ♥J107543 ♦8 ♣QJ954 worked like a dream
East might have bid over 3NT, but partner was bidding under duress and might easily have
held a weaker hand.
If you find yourself in this situation and decide to bid then one idea is to play 4♣ as Stayman
with 4♦ and 4♥ being transfers. Another is to use 4♣ as a relay, asking for partner’s high card
strength.
West East
Price Simpson
– 1♠
2♦ 2NT
3♣ 3NT
4♦ 4♥
4NT 5♦
5♠ 6♦
Pass
A completely natural sequence to an excellent contract (6NT is perhaps marginally superior).

Recommended auction:
The one produced by Price-Simpson looks very good.
At the other table if East decides to bid the auction might go (3♥)-3NT-4♥*-4♠-4NT-6NT.
Marks: 6NT/6♦ 10, 3NT/5♦ 5.
Hand 3. Dealer South. Both Vul.
♠ AK Q 8 7 6 2 N ♠ 93
♥— ♥ A9 8 6 4
♦ 10 W E ♦ A9 4
♣ AQ J 9 5 S ♣ K87
Sansom Jephcott
– – – Pass
2♣* Pass 2NT* Pass
3♠ Pass 4♣* Double
7♠ All Pass

 Intermediate
I can’t be sure about the precise meaning of this auction – it may be that 2NT promised five con-
trols and that 4♣ was a cue-bid.
South’s double on ♠J ♥KJ2 ♦KJ865 ♣6432 might have been anti lead directing.
Knowing that he was facing the red aces and probably the king of clubs West did not hesitate
to bid the grand slam.
In the other room Norman Selway also opened 2♣ but David Kendrick told me that at some
point Nick Irens took a premature shot at 6NT.
In passing, David also mentioned a deal where the E/W hands were: ♠742 ♥QJ74 ♦9643 ♣A2
opposite ♠Q63 ♥AK103 ♦AKJ1052 ♣-.
The common sequence was 1♦-1♥-4♣*-4♥, which makes on the nose on a spade lead from
North (South had ♠AKJ5 but the diamonds were 2-2). However, David did not bid 4♣, prefer-
ring a psychic splinter of 3♠. When Tony Forrester bid 4♥ he went on to 6♥ which made easily
on a club lead.
(It’s a moot point if North should lead the unbid suit in this situation, especially where East is
known to have a vivid imagination.)
Recommended auction: 1♠-2♥-3♣-3♦*-4♣-4♦*-4♥*-5♥*-7♣.
After West’s 3♣ East can use the fourth suit and then cue-bid to agree clubs. An exchange of
cue-bids then makes it possible for West to jump to 7♣.
Marks: 7♠/7♣/7NT 10, 6NT/6♣/6♠ 5.
Hand 4. Dealer North. None Vul.
♠ A K 10 4 N ♠ 98
♥ AK 8 5 4 ♥ QJ3
♦— W E ♦ K 10 3
♣ AQ J 2 S ♣ K7654
North opens 3♦.
Thornton Holder
– 3♦ Pass Pass
Double Pass 3NT Pass
4♦* Pass 4♥ Pass
6♥ All Pass
Sally Brock’s preempt was on ♠J653 ♥96 ♦QJ97642 ♣- (the old advice that you shouldn’t preempt
with a four card major on the side was cast aside long ago).
West’s jump to 6♥ looks premature but bidding 5♦ will not ensure that a grand slam is reached.
Notice that North did not double 6♥ – she could not be certain there would a second trick
even if partner were to lead a club.
When South led the ace of diamonds declarer was soon claiming all the tricks.
Sheehan Myers
– – Pass Pass
1♥ 3♦ 3♥ Pass
3♠ Pass 3NT Pass
4♣ Pass 4♥ Pass
5♦ Pass 6♥ All Pass

 Intermediate
Here North waited until the second round, foregoing the old adage ‘twice armed is he whose cause
is just thrice armed is he who gets his blow in first’.
Up to the point where he bid 4♥ East had shown no more than some heart support and val-
ues in diamonds. When West nevertheless bid 5♦ East might have jumped to 7♣ (would that be
one of SJ Simon’s ‘master bids’?).
Recommended auction: After (3♦)-Double-3NT-4♦-4♥ West can try 5♦. If East then bids 6♣
West might find a raise to 7♣ – but it’s not easy.
At the other table E/W had a perfect auction up to the point where East bid 6♥ – but again it
is far from automatic to bid 7♣.
Marks: 7♥/7♣ 10, 6♥/6♣/6NT (E) 6, 4♥/5♣/3NT 2.
Hand 5. Dealer South. None Vul.
♠ AQ J 8 7 2 N ♠3
♥ 943 ♥ A K Q J 10 6 5
♦ K74 W E ♦8
♣A S ♣ QJ72
West East
Thornton Holder
1♠ 3♥*
4NT* 5♠*
6♥ Pass
3♥ Natural, game forcing
4NT RKCB
5♠ 2 ‘keys’ +♥Q
South, who held ♠1064 ♥82 ♦J932 ♣9854 led the two of diamonds and when declarer played
low from dummy North won with the queen and returned the three of clubs.
(With West’s use of 4NT suggesting a diamond control an astute South might underlead the
ace of diamonds, so there is a case for declarer to go up with dummy’s king.)
Declarer won perforce with dummy’s ace, ruffed a diamond, ruffed a club, ruffed a diamond,
ruffed a club, cashed the ace of spades and claimed on a high cross ruff.
If North had returned a trump at trick two declarer would have needed to take the right view
in one of the black suits.
Sheehan Myers
– – – Pass
1♠ 2♦ 2♥ Pass
3♥ Pass 4♦* Pass
4♠* Pass 5♥ Pass
6♥ All Pass
4♦ Cue-bid
4♠ Cue-bid
North’s intervention on ♠K95 ♥7 ♦AQ1065 ♣K1063 was easily brushed aside.
When South led the eight of clubs declarer won with dummy’s ace, cashed the ace of spades
and ran the queen, pitching a diamond. When the king of spades appeared on the next round
declarer claimed all the tricks to score an 1MP.

 Intermediate
Recommended auction: Hard to improve on either auction.
Marks: 6♥ 10, 4♥ 6.
Hand 6. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
♠ 32 N ♠ KQJ764
♥ 52 ♥ AQ 9
♦ A J 10 4 W E ♦ 76
♣ A K J 10 6 S ♣ 74
North opens 1NT (12-14)
Smith Brock
– 1NT 2♦* 2♥
Double* Pass 3♠ Pass
4♠ All Pass
2♦ Multi Landy, promising a six card major
Double ‘Pass or correct’.
Had East bid 2♠ over her partner’s double, West might well have tried 3♥, when 3NT would
have been the natural move for East.
South, who held ♠8 ♥KJ10876 ♦9832 ♣53 led the five of clubs (only a diamond lead, North
winning and returning a heart, is certain to defeat 4♠) and declarer won with dummy’s ace and
played a heart for the queen and king. South lost no time in switching to the eight of diamonds
and that doomed declarer to defeat.
The winning line is to play a trump at trick two. If North takes the second round and switches to a
heart declarer wins with the ace, crosses to the king of clubs and then runs the jack, pitching a diamond.
If North returns a diamond honour rather than a heart declarer ducks and subsequently takes
the ruffing club finesse.
Robinson Procter
– – 1♠ 3♥
Double* Pass 3NT All Pass
South’s weak jump overcall drove E/W into 3NT.

He led the jack of hearts and declarer won with the queen and played the king of spades. North
won and returned a heart, but declarer won with the ace, cashed two more spades and played a
club to the ten, ensuring nine tricks.
Should South have led a heart? Some pairs play that a redouble by North promises a high heart
(the ace, king or queen) – a useful (but not risk free) idea.
Without any information South was guessing, but with no outside entry the heart lead was dan-
gerous and even if declarer held say only ♥A94 he could duck once, taking South out of the game.
Had South led any of the other three suits declarer would have been struggling to take more
than eight tricks.
Recommended auction: If E/W had a free run they might go: 1♠-2♣-2♠-3♦-3NT.
There is not much to choose between that and 4♠
Marks: 3NT/4♠ 10, 3♠/2NT 5.

 Intermediate
Hand 7. Dealer North. Both Vul.
♠ A 10 7 6 4 N ♠ K932
♥ K8764 ♥ AJ 9 3
♦4 W E ♦ AQ 9 7 5
♣ 43 S ♣—
If East opens 1♦ South overcalls 2♣ and North raises to 3♣.
Forrester Sheehan Senior Myers
– Pass 1♦ 2♣
Double* 3♣ 4♣* Pass
4♥ All Pass
Double Takeout
4♣ Support for both majors
Although North had six card support (♠QJ8 ♥Q2 ♦J2 ♣Q98652) for partner’s suit he was con-
tent to bid 3♣, perhaps (rightly) fearing that advertising a big fit might help E/W.
Declarer ruffed the club lead, played two rounds of hearts, ruffed a club and played on spades
for twelve tricks.
Smith Selway Brock Kendrick
– Pass 1♦ 2♣
Double* 4♣ Double* Pass
4♥ All Pass
Here North followed the generally sound strategy of bidding to the level that he wanted the oppo-
nents to play at.
Recommended auction: I don’t think either E/W pair can be criticised. If East had speculated
with a further try of 5♣ at either table then West might have bid 6♥.
Low point count slams based on a perfect fit are always hard to reach.
Marks: 6♠/6♥ 10, 4♠/4♥ 6.
Hand 8. Dealer West. None Vul.
♠ 72 N ♠ A K 10 9 8
♥ K J 10 7 ♥A
♦ Q 10 9 4 3 W E ♦ A8 7
♣ 74 S ♣ AK 8 6
West East
Forrester Senior
– 2♣*
2♦* 2♠
3♦ 4♦
4♥* 4NT*
5♣* 6♦
Pass
4♥ Cue-bid
5♣ 0 key cards

 Intermediate
North led the two of clubs from ♠Q53 ♥Q8653 ♦J62 ♣Q2 and declarer won with dummy’s ace,
unblocked the ace of hearts and played three rounds of spades, ruffing with the nine of diamonds.
He cashed the king of hearts pitching a spade, ruffed the ten of hearts, cashed the king of clubs
and ruffed a club. North overruffed and played the queen of hearts, ruffed and overruffed and
South played the jack of clubs, ensuring another trump trick for North for two down.
It’s hard to say what is the best approach in 6♦.
If declarer had played a low diamond from dummy at trick three South would have been doing
well to withhold the king.
West East
Smith Brock
– 2♣*
2♦* 2♠
3♦ 4♦
4♥* 4♠
Pass
2♣ Weak 2♦ or 23+ balanced or any game forcing hand
2♦ To play facing diamonds
4♥ Cue-bid
South led the jack of clubs and declarer won, unblocked the ace of hearts, cashed a club and
ruffed a club with the seven of spades. North overruffed with the queen and returned the two of
diamonds and declarer took the ace and ruffed a club. North overruffed and played a diamond
an declarer had to lose a trick to South’s jack of spades for one down.
4♠ was a little unlucky, but perhaps East was surprised to be left to play there?
You can make 4♠, but there is no obvious reason to do so.
Recommended auction: Hard to argue with the Forrester-Senior sequence, although it led to a
slam that is far from laydown.
Marks: 5♦/3NT 10, 6♦ 7 4♠ 6.
It’s worth noting that of the 26 players taking part Senior finished 21st in the Butler, and Brock
& Smith 24th equal – the moral – don’t play bridge after flying.
This is how the teams finished:
I P W S H B Total
Irens * 13.53 10.50 4.92 11.90 16.25 57.10
Procter 6.47 * 13.15 9.25 15.83 12.12 56.82
Ward 9.50 6.85 * 9.50 11.68 15.24 52.77
Sansom 15.08 10.75 10.50 * 6.85 3.89 47.07
Hackett 8.10 4.17 8.32 13.15 * 10.75 44.49
Brock 3.75 7.88 4.76 16.11 9.25 * 41.75
A tough score to beat – but you would expect that with deals involving some of the best senior
pairs in the world.
You can play through the deals mentioned in this article. Just follow the links:
Hands 1 & 2: http://tinyurl.com/lfp9f2f
Hand 3: http://tinyurl.com/q28fruq
Hands 4, 5 & 6: http://tinyurl.com/lxbtx8y
Hand 7 & 8: http://tinyurl.com/mmgskpy


BLACK BRIDGE
Vienna for Connoisseurs a unique bridge holiday
August 23 - 29, 2015
Travel Itinerary
Day 1 - August 23rd Day 3 – August 25th finger food from Vienna’s award- in a Michelin award-winning
winning catering and a bridge restaurant in the historic vaults.
I ndividual arrival and check-in
at your hotel, with free time to
settle in and explore the neigh-
T he morning is at your
leisure. Lunch will be held in
the garden of a former city mo-
tournament await.
Day 7 – August 29th
borhood, such as the nearby nastery (Gault et Millau award- Day 5 – August 27th
Museum Quarter, one of the
world‘s greatest art and cultural
winning restaurant), then you
will depart for a bridge tour-
T he morning is at your
leisure. Lunch will be served
I ndividual check-out and depar-
ture.
areas. Late in the afternoon, en- nament in the Viennese Bridge * Subject to change. Alternative acti-
in an upscale restaurant right on
joy an official welcoming drink Club with dinner afterward at a vities will be arranged in the event of
the Danube River with a view of
at the hotel and then dinner in a winery under the stars. bad weather.
the Vienna’s modern skyline, fol-
stylish Art Nouveau atmosphere.
lowed by a bridge tournament
Day 4 – August 26th afterward in the Bridge Center. No scheduled activity is
Day 2 – August 24th In the evening, we will surprise
A fter breakfast, visit

the Vienna Secession Exhi-
A fter breakfast, head off on a
city walking tour with
stops at the City Park,
you with an exclusive dinner held
in one of the city’s museums with
mandatory - you set the pace of
your trip as you see fit.
You can join walking tours later or
a visit to the museum exhibition. leave earlier, and between
bition Hall (with a guided tour). Museum of Applied Arts and
activities you’ll have plenty
Then stroll through the lively the Otto Wagner-designed Aus- of time to relax or explore
Naschmarkt, Vienna‘s largest in- trian Postal Savings Bank buil- Day 6 – August 28th on your own.
nercity market, where you can ding. After lunch in a sophisti-
sample delicacies from around
the world. The culinary tour con-
cated tavern serving traditional
Viennese cuisine, you’ll continue A fter breakfast, take a vinta-
ge tram ride through Vienna
and then lunch at the city’s top For bridge players
tinues with a stop at a traditional with a tour of the Vienna city cen-
Asian fusion restaurant. Another of all levels.
Viennese coffee house, after ter, visiting Mozart´s House and
which you’ll return to the ho- St. Stephen´s Cathedral, among city walking tour in the afternoon
tel for optional participation in others. You’ll return to the hotel will include a visit to the Baroque Non-players are also
State Hall of the National Libra-
a bidding challenge. Depart for to relax, and then depart for the
ry. The closing dinner will be held
very welcome!
dinner in the Basteigarten. "Bridgecentrum" where the finest
www.blackfish-bridge.com


All-Inclusive Package
Vienna for Connoisseurs, August 23-29, 2015
Package includes 2,180 Euro per person

♣ 6 nights in a ‘classic’ double room in ♣ All travel information as well as advice
the 4-star boutique hotel ‘Altstadt on individual exploration and shop-
Vienna’, including an extensive break- ping
fast buffet and afternoon tea with ♣ Round-trip transportation to all
homemade cakes activities in a private bus or taxi
♣ Small groups with a maximum of ♣ Surprise gift
28 persons, guaranteed departures
from ten travelers
♣ Personal welcome from the tour Not included or optional
guide services
♣ Professional and individual assistance
throughout the journey ♣ Individual travel to Vienna
♣ Sightseeing tours and entrance fees ♣ Garage space for your car
♣ Guided tours in German and English ♣ Transfer to/from the airport or train
♣ Lunch and dinner in Vienna‘s top station
restaurants ♣ Single room supplement (55 Euro/
♣ Team and pair tournaments in Vienna’s night for a ‘classic’ double room)
two bridge clubs, with partners ♣ Drinks at lunch and dinner at the For questions about the program
guaranteed and an award ceremony bridge tournaments (drinks at the schedule and the activities offered, con-
♣ Optional participation in a bidding coffee house and vintage tram ride are tact us at office@blackfish-bridge.com.
challenge included) Travel can be booked through our partners
HTS-Reisen.
HTS-Reisen will gladly organize garage space at the hotel (approximately 25 Euro/day)
or an airport transfer.
Register by email: The booking and payment for the rements with respect to religious, More detailed information about
tour is handled by our partners HTS- cultural or medical restrictions. We the activities and your hosts is
office@blackfish-bridge.com Reisen (please use the keyword “Vi- will be happy to assist you. available on our website.
enna for Connoisseurs”):
Deadline: April 30, 2015 For questions about the program www.blackfish-bridge.com
Ms. Katharina Brauner schedule and the activities offered,
Immediately upon receiving your HTS-Reisen contact us directly at We look forward to an unforgettable
registration, our travel partners Liechtensteinstr. 107, 1090 Wien time with you in Vienna!
HTS-Reisen will contact you to Tel. +43 1 3198553 office@blackfish-bridge.com
provide all application forms as well E-Mail: reisen@hts-reisen.at
as information on the payment terms
and cancellation policy. For more
information, please visit our web-
On the form that you’ll receive by
email from us upon registration, Bridge
site: please indicate if you are vegetari-
an/vegan, suffer from food allergies Tournaments in Viennese bridge clubs
www.blackfisch-bridge.com or have any special dietary requi- Partners guaranteed
Bidding challenge
Contact & Imprint

Margit Schwarz and Doris Fischer
Fine Dining
Isbarygasse 20 A/3, 1140 Vienna, Austria Exquisite Viennese cuisine
E-Mail: office@blackfish-bridge.com Unique locations
Telephone: Margit Schwarz +43 699 19459411 Traditional Viennese coffee house
Doris Fischer
Doris Fischer +43 676 5443493
HTS Reisen
Katharina Brauner
Liechtensteinstraße 107, 1090 Veinna, Austria
Culture
E-Mail: reisen@hts-reisen.at Special city walking tours
Telephone: +43 1 3198553 www.hts-reisen.at Exclusive sightseeing
Margit Schwarz Vintage tram ride
BLACK BRIDGE
www.blackfish-bridge.com

Misjudging a Sacrifice
This is an excerpt from David Bird’s ‘52 Bridge Mistakes to Avoid’, recently published by Master
Point Press and available from the Bridge Magazine Bookshop.
When I commentate on top-level bridge shown by Bridge Base Online, I always enjoy seeing how
the experts tackle high-level competitive bidding decisions. It’s a difficult aspect of the game and
on a particular deal you cannot simply say: ‘Well, East made a mistake there. Look, he went for
800!’ If you think a player’s high-level decision was clearly wrong, you must try to analyze the
reasons why, not merely rely on how many IMPs it happened to cost on one particular lay-out.
In this chapter we will look at some high-level decisions where I reckon that the player involved
should have had enough information to avoid his losing action. You should make your own anal-
ysis at the same time and by comparing notes we may be able to improve our own competitive
bidding! The first deal comes from a 2014 Interstate Teams in Australia:
Dealer West. E/W Vul.
♠ Q J 10 8 5 3
♥ K98
♦6
♣ K54
♠ AK 7 6 2 N ♠ 94
♥ Q 10 2 ♥ AJ 7 5 3
♦ 73 W E ♦ AJ 4 2
♣ AQ 8 S ♣ 10 2
♠—
♥ 64
♦ K Q 10 9 8 5
♣ J9763
1♠ Pass 2♥ 4NT
Double 5♣ Double All Pass
South’s 4NT, showed the minors. Probably these thoughts were in the player’s mind:
– The vulnerability is favorable
– The opponents will surely have a fit in one of the majors
– By taking away bidding space, I will force them to guess
North went three down in 5♣ doubled for 500, which should have been 800. At the other table
East went one down in 4♥. (The contract can be made only by obscure double-dummy play, even-
tually endplaying North in spades.) So, South’s 4NT lost 12 IMPs. What reasons come to your
mind why 4NT was a poor bid? Think for a while before I tell you what I think.
These are the reasons that occur to me:
– With the very bad spade break, East-West may go down in their chosen contract.
– By entering the auction, warning East-West of bad breaks, South may deter them from get-
ting too high.
– If North held equal length in the minors, he would choose clubs and end in the wrong suit.
– By bidding 2NT instead of 4NT, South could have involved partner in the eventual decision
of whether to sacrifice.

To sum up, I would say: ‘Don’t offer the opponents a sizeable penalty when they may be in
trouble themselves.’
The next deal comes from the 2014 European Championship, with Italy facing Sweden. (I’m
sure you agree that it’s more interesting looking at deals played at an expert level, rather than in
a local club. The fact that top-class internationals misjudge such situations shows how difficult a
topic this is.)
Dealer North. E/W Vul.
♠Q
♥ A Q 10 4 2
♦ A 10
♣ AJ873
♠ J953 N ♠ A K 10 8 6
♥7 ♥ KJ98
♦ KQJ976 W E ♦2
♣ Q9 S ♣ K62
♠ 742
♥ 653
♦ 8543
♣ 10 5 4
– 1♥ 1♠ Pass
3♦ Double 4♠ Pass
Pass 5♣ Double 5♥
Double All Pass
West’s 3♦ was a fit-jump, showing diamonds and spades. The Italian North doubled this to show
a good hand. What action should he take when East’s 4♠ runs to him?
He chose to bid 5♣ and the eventual contract of 5♥ doubled went 1100 down, costing 10
IMPs against the making 4♠ at the other table. Although North is a truly world-class player, it
seems that his 5♣ was poorly judged. Once again, think what the reasons are for not bidding 5♣
before I give my own list. This is how I see it:
– North has no guarantee that there will be a fit for either of his suits
– He has promising defense against 4♠ but might go for a big number, playing at the five-level
– He has already described his hand well (with 1♥ and the double)
Let’s look at the other auction from this match:
– 1♥ 1♠ Pass
4♠ All Pass
This time North had not been given the chance to show his strength with a double at the
three-level. Many players (including myself, I think) would have doubled at their second turn.
South would surely pass and that would be 790 away. Sweden’s Johan Sylvan judged well to pass
as North and conceded only 620. Perhaps he had in mind that he could not tolerate a take-out
into diamonds.

Our next deal is again from the 2014 European Championships, this time with Sweden facing
Austria:
Dealer West. N/S Vul.
♠ KQ8
♥ 10 7 3
♦ 10 6
♣ AK854
♠7 N ♠ J 10 5 3 2
♥ J9852 ♥ K64
♦ AQ J 9 5 4 W E ♦ 82
♣2 S ♣ J96
♠ A964
♥ AQ
♦ K73
♣ Q 10 7 3
Pass 1♣ Pass 1♠
2♦ 2♠ Pass 4♠
4NT Pass 5♣ Double
5♦ Double All Pass
With the vulnerability in his favor, the Austrian West competed with 4NT to show a second suit
alongside his diamonds. East bid 5♣, his preference opposite a minor two-suiter, and the removal
to 5♦ showed the red suits. Since West had not made a two-suited call originally, East decided
to leave it in diamonds. West went 1100 down and the spade game would not have been made
(unless West leads a diamond.) If you think that the 4NT bid was clearly wrong, try to think of
the reasons why.
This is my list:
– West had singletons in both of the opponents’ suits. The bad breaks might defeat 4♠.
– East had not found a raise to 3♦. West was banking everything on a heart fit, which might
not materialize.
– West’s second suit (hearts) was flimsy, so the penalty at the five-level might be substantial.
Perhaps the most common type of high-level competitive deal arises when one side holds the
spades and the other has the hearts. It’s not possible to judge such matters precisely. Suppose you
bid 5♥ over 4♠ and go one down, finding that 4♠ would have gone one down too. This is no
great cause for concern. You may lose a few IMPs on the deal, but you can console yourself that
if you move a card or two your decision would have been right.
When your decision proves to be wrong by a full four tricks (for example, two down when they
would have gone two down), you can be almost certain that there was a mistake somewhere in
your side’s auction. The same is usually true when the decision is wrong by three tricks. Look at
this deal from a match between England and Ireland:

Dealer West. N/S Vul.
♠ A 10 9 5
♥ K64
♦ AJ754
♣J
♠ 832 N ♠ K4
♥ A 10 2 ♥ J98753
♦3 W E ♦ K82
♣ A Q 10 7 5 4 S ♣ K2
♠ QJ76
♥Q
♦ Q 10 9 6
♣ 9863
1♣ 1♦ Double 1♠
2♣ 2♠ 3♣ 3♦
3♥ 4♠ 5♥ pass
Pass Double All Pass
East’s first-round double was part of a transfer system of responses and showed at least four hearts.
As the cards lay, East’s 5♥ was wrong by three tricks. It was doubled for 100 away whereas at the
other table 4♠ was doubled and two down for 500. That was a nett swing of 600. The decision
to bid 5♥ rather than double 4♠ cost 12 IMPs. Big stuff.
Try to put into words why you think that East’s 5♥ was wrong. Only then, take a look at the
reasons that occur to me:
– East held good defense against 4♠ (three kings in short suits) and his partner had opened the
bidding.
– The North-South bidding to 4♠ was not particularly convincing. They had no more than
half the points in the pack.
– West had not raised hearts immediately and might conceivably hold only a doubleton honor
in the suit.
The bidding was different at the other table and East judged the situation better:
2♣ Double 2♥ 2♠
3♥ 3♠ 4♥ 4♠
Pass Pass Double All Pass
West’s 2♣ showed around 11-15 and long clubs. Again the North-South bidding was not par-
ticularly strong. East had roughly the same information available as his counterpart at the other
table. He doubled 4♠ and was well rewarded for his choice.
When the final decision is wrong by a full five tricks, you can be sure that both halves of the
losing partnership have produced poor bids. This example comes from the 2014 China Bridge
Elite championship:

Dealer North. Both Vul.
♠ A 10 9 8 6 5 3 2
♥J
♦ 87
♣ 64
♠ QJ N ♠4
♥ 8643 ♥ 752
♦ Q 10 5 W E ♦ AK 9 6 4 3
♣ KQ75 S ♣ A 10 3
♠ K7
♥ A K Q 10 9
♦ J2
♣ J982
Zhang LG Shen SY
– 3♠ 4♦ 4♠
All Pass
South cashed three hearts, North discarding two clubs. North ruffed the ♣9 and, reading the
spot-card as suit preference, underled the ♠A to receive a second club ruff. That was an 1100 loss
for East-West against a spade game that was beaten in top cards at the other table. 15 IMPs away.
What do you make of the East-West bidding?
East’s hand would not justify an overcall of 4♦, even if non-vulnerable. The playing strength is
low and the defensive strength is high. West’s decision to sacrifice at Game All with only 3-card
support and no ruffing value is just bad bridge. A good general guideline is this: do not sacrifice
on a balanced hand.
We will end with a poorly judged advance sacrifice, in other words a high bid made (in the
expectation of going down) before the opponents have reached their own contract. It comes from
the very top level of play, a semi-final of the 2014 Spingold, with world-class players in every seat.
Dealer North. N/S Vul.
♠ AKJ3
♥ K J 10 9 6
♦J
♣ K32
♠ Q75 N ♠ 10 6
♥ 8732 ♥ 54
♦ A 10 9 6 W E ♦ KQ742
♣ 54 S ♣ A Q 10 8
♠ 9842
♥ AQ
♦ 853
♣ J976
– 1♥ 2♦ Double
All Pass

North’s 1♥ promised 14+ points and West opted for an advance sacrifice of 5♦, doubled by South.
How many tricks do you think East made after a lead of the ♦3?
To escape for two down, losing 300, requires double-dummy play. You must rise with dummy’s
♦A at Trick 1, the ♦J falling from North. You must then finesse the ♣Q, cash the ♣A and ruff a
club with the ♦10 or ♦9 (unblocking). When you play a heart, aiming to reach your hand for a
second club ruff, South wins with the queen. He exits with a trump, but after your unblocking ruff
you can play the ♦6 from dummy and overtake with the ♦7. You can then take a second club ruff.
At Trick 1 declarer called for the ♦10 from dummy, covered by the jack. It seems he should
still lose only 500 but the play record merely states that trumps were drawn in three rounds and
he went 800 down. At the other table a club was led against 4♠. Two clubs, a club ruff and the
♦A beat the game and that was a swing of 14 IMPs.
Let’s look closely at West’s advance sacrifice bid of 5♦ and consider why it may have been
misjudged:
– West has little idea of his partner’s hand. East-West may have enough defense to beat a game
by the opponents
– West’s hand contains no singleton or void. 5♦ could be expensive.
– North-South may not reach a game anyway.
– If West raises to 3♦ or 4♦, his partner can sacrifice in 5♦ if he has a suitable hand. West should
not make the decision on his own when holding such modest values.
Tips to avoid mistake 4

(Misjudging a sacrifice)
– Try to arrange the auction to involve partner in any final decision about a sacrifice.
– Describe your hand accurately early in the auction, so partner has a good basis on which to base
his decision.
– Remember that if your hand is very distributional, the bad breaks may cause the opponents’
contract to fail.
– Be wary of sacrificing on a balanced hand.

 Intermediate
Solutions to “Test Your Defence”

with Julian Pottage See page 69
♠ Q94 ♠ Q97
1 ♥ K9853 2 ♥ Q3
♦ Q4 ♦ K Q J 10 5 3
♣ J93 ♣ 10 4
♠ 765 N ♠ K J 10 3 ♠ 10 5 4 N ♠ A8 6 2
♥ Q742 ♥ A 10 6 ♥ K94 ♥ 10 8 7 6 3 2
♦ 9863 W E ♦ K J 10 2 ♦ 97 W E ♦ 6
♣ 85 S ♣ 62 ♣ A9 7 3 2 S ♣ K8
♠ A82 ♠ KJ3
♥ J ♥ AJ
♦ A75 ♦ A842
♣ A K Q 10 7 4 ♣ QJ65
WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH
– – – 1♣ – – – 1NT*
Pass 1♥ Double 3NT* Pass 3NT All Pass
All Pass 1NT 15-17
3NT Suggests a long strong club suit Partner leads the three of clubs. You win with the king,
Partner leads the eight of diamonds (second and fourth), seeing the five on your left. What do you return?
covered by the queen and king. What do you return and The size of the spot card led tells you that the lead is
what do you plan to discard on the clubs? from five clubs (or possibly only four), which puts at
If partner holds one of the missing aces or a club stop- least four on your left. Unless the lead is from precisely
per, you should be able to defeat the contract easily with AQJ32, the club suit will not run.
three diamond tricks, a heart and partner’s winner. More The bidding indicates that South has at least 15 points,
likely, declarer has running clubs and the missing aces; leaving at most seven for West. This in turn tells you
in this case, you will need to defend with care. that partner cannot hold ♣AQxxx or ♣AJxxx as well
Your opponent may well have eight top tricks: six clubs as three or more points outside. If your side’s clubs are
and two aces. You need to avoid finding yourself thrown good enough to run for one loser, declarer will hold the
in and forced to concede a trick to the queen of spades. top hearts and the ace of diamonds.
You should return the jack of diamonds and, if that Your real choice lies between a spade and a heart. The
holds, continue with the ten. Assuming that the lead is spade switch gains only if West has the king and the
second highest, partner will hold the nine of diamonds. ♣AJ or possibly ♠J10xx and a fast entry. A heart seems
Your two gives you a precious means of exit. On the run the better bet. Partner could just as easily hold the king
of the clubs you need to keep the king-jack (or king- of hearts as the king of spades. Moreover, if West has
ten) of spades as well as the ace of hearts and the lowly three hearts, it does not matter who holds the jack of
two of diamonds. clubs: the hearts will yield plenty of tricks.



 Intermediate
MARKS & COMMENTS

Set 288 conducted by Alan Mould
We have 23 panelists this month – the largest for a long THE BIDS & MARKS
time. Maybe the panel’s New Year’s resolution was to 1. Four Clubs 10
answer the BM problems . This month problem 1 Double 9
comes from the Manchester League 1st Division and Four Diamonds/Hearts 8
was held by Alan Jones; problem 2 was given to me by Five Clubs 5
Six Clubs 3
Gary Hyett and comes from the semi-final of the Silver 5NT 2
Plate; problem 3 was sent to me by John Matheson; 2. Four Clubs 10
problem 4 comes from reader Stuart Nelson; problem 5 Five Clubs 8
Six Clubs 7
is a constructed hand (more of that later…); problem Four Spades 6
6 was sent to me by Paul Bowyer; problem 7 was held 4NT 6
by Manchester player Rodney Lighton sitting opposite 3NT 5
me in a Manchester League 1st division match and Four Diamonds 3
Four Hearts 1
finally problem 8 comes from the Scottish National 3. Three Spades 10
League. OK with so many panelists enough from me Pass 9
and on with the show. Four Spades 8
Three Diamonds 7
PROBLEM 1 Four Diamonds/4NT 4
Five Spades 2
Three Hearts 1
IMPs. Dealer South. E/W Vul. Six Diamonds/Spades 1
4. 2NT 10
♠A 1NT 9
♥ AK 9 7 5 2 Two Hearts/Spades 7
♦A Two Clubs 6
♣ A 10 9 5 3 3NT
Pass
4
3
West North East South Three Hearts 2
– – – Pass 5. Four Diamonds 10
1♥ 3♦* Pass Pass Five Clubs 8
4NT 7
? Pass 6
3 ♦ Natural and weak Four Spades 6
Four Hearts 3
Marks: Four Clubs 10, Double 9, Four Diamonds All other bids 1
8, Four Hearts 8, Five Clubs 5, Six Clubs 3, 5NT 6. Pass 10
2, Pass 0 3NT 9
At the table this hand bid Four Clubs and that ended 2NT 8
Two Spades 7
the auction (whether or not it should have done on the Three Diamonds 7
hand opposite is a different matter). So the question Three Hearts 3
revolves around (a) is Four Clubs actually forcing in Three Clubs 1
this sequence and if not, do we care and (b) whether 7. Four Clubs 10
Three Diamonds/Hearts 8
or not Four Clubs is forcing is it the right bid? By a Five Clubs 6
vote of 10 to 9 the panel just go for Four Clubs over Four Hearts 5
Double, but as you will see they have no consensus as Three Spades 2
to whether it is forcing or not. Some think it obvious: 3NT 1
8. Pass 10
Smith: Four Clubs. This seems to be a straight Four Clubs 9
3-way choice between Four Clubs, Four Clubs and 4NT 7
Four Clubs, so after some consideration I opt for, Five Diamonds 6
er, Four Clubs. The outside alternatives range from Four Diamonds 4
5NT 4
the sublime, Five Clubs seems to take us past Four Five Clubs 2
Hearts, which could be the last making spot, to 6NT 2

 Intermediate
the ridiculous: double is just potty with a single- Cannell: Four Clubs. This really should be forc-
ton in the unbid major (amongst the potty doublers ing in context at this level. Sort of like a Leaping
are world champions Greco, Lawrence, Leufkens and Michaels that is a one-round-force. Otherwise the
Zmudzinski). Do you really expect partner to bid auction becomes unwieldy. A re-opening double
clubs rather than spades if you double? More to here will just open a can of worms, as will a re-
the point, if you double and partner jumps to Four opening Four Diamond cue-bid.
Spades (as he might well do holding six-card ‘sup- Whereas Alon and Ben don’t:
port’) is it now clear that Five Clubs says “double Apteker: Four Clubs. Natural and shape showing
was a joke, I really had a Four Club bid”? although does not necessarily convey this strength.
Robson: Four Clubs. What comes naturally. I mean I could double and convert Three Spades to Four
seriously what else, when five low clubs and out Clubs to show shape and strength and would be
give a small slam? happy if partner passed given my sharp cards but
Silver: Four Clubs. In order to achieve the full poten- with the singleton spade I reject that bid.
tial of this hand finding a fit with partner is essential, Green: Four Clubs. A bit strong for Four Clubs
and the best way to do that is by bidding my suits but what else? Five Clubs goes past Four Hearts.
(NOT making a takeout double which will only lead What would Four Diamonds be? Initially a major
to partner bidding a lot of spades, leaving us worse two suiter but would a correction of Four Spades
off that we are now). I am vulnerable after all and to Five Clubs show this hand type? I’m not so sure,
just went to the four level by myself, so I must be what does Eric think?!
showing a big hand. With a big club fit I expect to Good question Ben – let’s ask him!
hear 4NT from my OX, NOT FIVE CLUBS. Kokish: Four Diamonds. Although this is largely
Alder: Four Clubs. This is hardly a weak bid. If not discussed in most partnerships, it could sensibly
I am meant to double, get Michel Perron on the be defined as a game-force (of sorts) with 6+♥ and
panel (Salsomaggiore 1992). a significant second suit. It’s the second part of that
I am afraid my knowledge of past Europeans is not idea that needs partnership discussion: should the
that encyclopedic and a quick Google search reveals second suit be at least five cards; could the second
nothing so you are on your own there. suit be spades (how does Four Diamonds interface
Sime: Four Clubs. A theme for this set is making with Three Spades?); and what is East’s duty over
the cheapest sensible bid in the hope of finding out Four Diamonds with the likes of 5-1-4-3? I think
more. In this case it might be finding out that I if you polled long-term partnerships they would
should have opened Two Clubs. Nevertheless, One say that Four Diamonds showed long hearts and
Heart might have worked out worse; One Heart secondary spades. Whether it makes sense to start
passed out, or South upping the ante. with that treatment and add the proviso that con-
A surprising (well surprising to me anyway) aspect verting spades to clubs cancels the hearts plus sec-
of this hand was that it was opened Two Clubs at the ondary spades message is something that will not
other table, and by a player 30+ years younger. My appeal to everyone.
experience is that the younger the player the less likely Eric had one supporter for Four Diamonds, and
he is to open distributional hands Two Clubs. Per- not one usually prone to science:
sonally I don’t think it is close, but what do I know? Wolff: Four Diamonds. And then over either Four
Another curious aspect of the hand is that over Two Hearts or Four Spades, bid Five Clubs.
Clubs the opposition remained silent! Having dealt with Four Diamonds lets now move
Carruthers: Four Clubs. Is that too facile? I sup- to the other mainstream choice of the panel, loathed
pose I could Double and bid Five Clubs over Four so much by Marc (and others) – Double. Everyone
Spades, but that might lead to Five Hearts unnec- knows the risks but thinks the upside justifies them:
essarily. It’s also a question of which auction might Rigal: Double. My experience is that partner typ-
lead him to strong support of clubs. One of Edgar ically has a balancedish penalty double here, and
Kaplan’s dicta was, “When in doubt, bid your long that while we might make Six Clubs we are as likely
suit.” It’s good advice, as Kaplan’s advice always was. to find partner with a 4-2-4-3 hand where game
Bowyer: Four Clubs. I am not going to Double is the limit in a rounded suit and the penalty from
with this shape (partner might bid Four Spades Three Diamonds exceeds that.
with six of them) so I bid what I have. Teramoto: Double. Too strong to bid Four Clubs
It is unclear whether the above panelists think Four and defending Three Diamonds Doubled is pos-
Clubs is forcing or not. Drew thinks it is though: sible this way.

 Intermediate
Mike and Enri double partially because all the Hans: Four Hearts. I’m too scared of Four Clubs
other bids are flawed in their view: being passed out. To double first sounds good in
Lawrence: Double. Three choices. Four Diamonds – theory but is too risky as partner’s Four Spades bid
expecting to bid Five Clubs over Four Spades or Four might jeopardize our plus.
Hearts. Not a common hand type. I may make slam This time partner held ♠Qxxxx ♥xx ♦xxx ♣Q9x.
facing Jxxx of clubs and something better is not out Everything was friendly (the pre-emptor held a 3-2-6-2
of the picture. So the question is which method of shape with ♣Jx so Four Hearts and Five Clubs were
showing clubs is best? Five Clubs immediately. Not both cold (indeed you can make 12 tricks in clubs).
a realistic bid. Double and then Five Clubs. Gains
when they are crushed in Three Diamonds doubled. PROBLEM 2
Not a happy moment. I reluctantly Double.
Leufkens: Double. At this vulnerability opposite a IMPs. Dealer West. None Vul.
passed partner North could have anything. (Good ♠ K53
point! Partner might have this off in trump tricks!) As ♥ AK
partner can have great diamonds and South didn’t ♦6
support his partner chances are better for penalties. ♣ A K J 10 8 7 2
Then I accept the problems after Double (Pass) Four
Spades (Pass) Five Clubs, hoping that this should
1♣ Pass 1♥ Pass
be natural… By the way, the alternatives are not
2♠* Pass 3♠ Pass
ideal: Four Clubs not enough, Five Clubs unilat-
?
eral. Four Diamonds for a hand like this would be
great but is not my understanding (yet).
2♠ Natural and game forcing
Eric doubles to delay the problem: Marks: Four Clubs 10, Five Clubs 8, Six Clubs 7,
Greco: Double. I really have no idea what to do Four Spades 6, 4NT 6, 3NT 5, Four Diamonds 3,
with this hand, so I will delay my decision and Four Hearts 1, Pass 0
Double. At least if partner passes I have some sure Since I thought they would anyway I invited the panel
tricks and maybe I will get lucky and partner will to comment on our Two Spades jump rebid. Many
do something that helps me. of them took the opportunity to do so. The comments
Rosen: Double. I know the shape is terrible, but covered a broad spectrum shall we say. Consider this
with loads of quick tricks if partner is passing the for example:
penalty should be fairly juicy. The alternative is Bowyer: Five Clubs. No, I would not have bid Two
just to drive a slam, either Six Clubs or 5NT more Spades, I think it absurd. Rather have bid One
scientifically. Spade than Two Spades or Three Clubs or 2NT or
I have to say that makes no sense to me. If this hand 3NT or anything other than Two Spades. What
is a slam force then it is a Two Club opener surely? happens if partner, all innocent like, raises spades?
And why should this hand make 12 tricks with such Oh, I see that he has. Well, what a surprise! Now
ratty suits? you are stuck. (Put me down for One Spade rather
This one genuinely surprises me: than Two Spades. It’s not a good bid, it’s just a
Matheson: Double. I normally hate off shape take whole lot better than Two Spades). Now what do
out doubles, but this has a lot going for it. I do? Shoot myself? Declare that I am ill and leave
Adam doesn’t think Four Clubs is forcing: the table? (Alan, at least, may appreciate the irony
Zmudzinski: Double. And Four Clubs over Three of that remark). (Paul sadly suffers from very bad
Spades or Five Clubs over Four Spades. Too strong migraine and sometimes has to leave bridge matches
for immediate Four Clubs. half way through, being unable to see any more) Put
Bird: Double. Unattractive with only one spade me down for Five Clubs. If this is the right contract
but I can bid Four Clubs over Three Spades, if that it isn’t my fault. Two Spades indeed!
is what happens. An immediate Four Clubs is not And compare with this:
enough. I would rather bid Four Hearts than that. Green: Four Clubs. Two Spades was OK, least of
Which brings us neatly to the other minority choice: evils I guess. I can’t see an alternative. I would bid
Brock: Four Hearts. The practical shot in my opin- Four Clubs to stress the club suit, I could bid Five
ion. Say partner has a club honour and a singleton Clubs to show that too but that doesn’t leave us
heart. Four Hearts is good then and partner won’t any room to manoeuvre and I don’t need much to
give preference. make a slam.

 Intermediate
Or this: the diamond shortage. It’s worth going past 3NT,
Smith: 4NT. I’m beginning to think that this though and East will expect a virtual strong two-
month’s problem setter had a little too much egg bid, so how can this be wrong given how we got
nog. First a one option problem, and now one here from there, so to speak.
where we went completely barking mad on the Carruthers: Four Clubs. Am I to bid Four Clubs
previous round. This is hardly an unexpected devel- on every problem this set? (come on – it is only prob-
opment from that Two Spade bid, so we presum- lem 2!) To me, this auction means I have a strong
ably knew what we were going to do now before jump shift based on clubs (and clubs), not clubs and
we took that action. The problem is that the ‘obvi- spades. I hope partner sees it that way as well but,
ous’ Four Club continuation is now a cue-bid with in case he does not, I can always bid one more club
spades agreed (Is it? That is at least arguable and over any number of spades until he gets the mes-
certainly the majority of the panel don’t think so). I sage (let’s hope not too late). If he bids Four Spades
could just guess between Five Clubs and Six Clubs, over Four Clubs, partnership trust and agreement
but I might as well avoid getting to a two-ace slam will be tested since that should be a spade control
by rolling out RKCB on the way. Partner is likely in support of clubs. (Wow I wouldn’t want to test
to have something since he had a weaker jump that one out at the table!) The question is, what is he
to Four Spades available at his second turn (did supposed to bid with ♠QJxx ♥QJxxx ♦xxx ♣x? On
he now? Personally I think that is arguable as well!), those cards, Four Hearts looks like our best game,
so I’ll commit myself to slam if he has an ace. Of despite that the defence can tap the dummy at trick
course, there is still the danger that when he shows two. Could I pass Four Hearts if he bid it. Sure, if
one ace via Five Diamonds he then thinks my Six we have the agreement that four of a naturally-bid
Club sign-off is some sort of grand slam try with major suit is always an offer to play (doesn’t that con-
spades still agreed, but that’s something I cannot tradict what you just said about Four Spades?). On
do anything about after my earlier dumb bid. (For this particular deal, that would be obvious since he
the record, I prefer a jump to 3NT which shows a cannot have a heart control, but if I had the ace of
hand based on strong clubs or, failing that agree- spades instead of the ace of hearts, that agreement
ment, an underbid of Three Clubs). might be tested.
With this: Hans: Four Clubs. Hopefully clarifying the fake
Brock: Four Clubs. Horrible hand. That’s why peo- jump-shift. Bidding non-suits comes with its share
ple develop fancy stuff. Don’t really like Two Spades of risks, I would prefer to have rebid 3NT over
but can’t think of a sensible alternative. Maybe I One Heart.
should bid Five Clubs here which would surely Sartaj is the second panelist to say he would have
suggest my spades leave a bit to be desired, but the preferred 3NT with this hand. Really? How is part-
problem is that I have such a good hand for clubs ner supposed to know to Pass with ♠xxxx ♥QJxxx
that we may well miss slam. ♦QJx ♣Q where 3NT is clearly the best game but to
So there is the range of opinion. Having got here bid with ♠QJxx ♥QJxxx, ♦xxx ♣Q where 3NT is
what to do now? Over half the panel continue by bid- a minimum of two off and Five Clubs is cold.
ding our excellent suit again. I have to say when I was Rosen: Four Clubs now. I don’t mind Two Spades
learning the game I was taught this: at all. 3NT showing an Acol Two in clubs was the
Teramoto: Four Clubs. Four Clubs just shows very alternative but a bit weird with a small singleton
good clubs and denies four cards in spades. Two diamond.
Spades on three cards is standard and is needed Thank you Neil!
sometimes. Four Diamonds after Three Spades is Rigal: Four Clubs. Two Spades is OK by me though
a cue and is a slam try in spades. the auction really didn’t work out the way I wanted!
Quite. Who agrees with Tadashi and me? Now what can we do but bid Four Clubs, which
Kokish: Four Clubs. My Brazilian friends play in my book shows this sort of pattern. Will accept
1m-1x; 3m as forcing, which solves this problem a sign-off in Four Spades.
while creating others. There is a case for playing Others are not so convinced partner will have got
either Two Diamonds or Two Spades as two-way: the memo about spades (or lack of them):
big clubs or NAT, but lacking something spe- Robson: Four Clubs. Our problems are just begin-
cial, Two Spades is cleaner than a Two Diamond ning. Maybe partner will think that any hand with
reverse despite the obvious jeopardy in a raise. Four real spades bids Four Diamonds and that Four Clubs
Clubs denies a fourth spade but does not pinpoint says that the Two Spades was a semi-fabrication. But

 Intermediate
I’m guessing he’ll still think we have four spades... Bird: Five Clubs. I am worried that Four Clubs
Silver: Four Clubs. Not crazy about jump shifting may sound like a cue-bid with spades agreed. At
in a three-card fragment, but I have no other bid least this jump tells partner the nature of my hand
to show how really big this hand is (Three Clubs and that the spades were invented.
my second choice does emphasise my club holding, Matheson: Five Clubs. I think this is the best way
but doesn’t show the true powerhouse this hand is). to indicate my hand type. Partner will rate the cards
Now however it is time to rebid my clubs which we need for a slam.
tells partner my jump shift was based on a big club Alder: Five Clubs. Instead of Two Spades, I would
holding and not on a true spade suit (if I cannot have preferred to have opened with a strong club!
deliver this message this way – OOPs – maybe I Now I must try to make partner realise that I faked
should refrain from this sort of jump shift). a Two Spade rebid. If we miss a slam, too bad; but
Sime: Four Clubs. Cheapest sensible bid. I am bidding Six Clubs seems excessive.
going to keep bidding clubs from now on anyway. Which brings us to the first of the lone voices:
Six Clubs is definitely possible, so I hope we have Leufkens: Six Clubs. Two Spades is terrible, but
discussed this Two Spade bid. Otherwise partner is I don’t know any alternative that’s better, so I
likely to “correct” Six Clubs to a major. Not only is !@#$%^&*() agree. I don’t want to jump, but no
Two Spades a spade less than standard, but it lacks other bid can tell partner I’ve got only three spades.
the “expected” three card heart support, i.e. a strong Partners Three Spades is stronger than Four Spades
3-3-1-6 sometimes bids this way. Absent this dis- I assume.
cussion, I will confess to preferring Three Clubs or Now this is the second time this has been mentioned.
3NT. Opposite ends of the spectrum I know, but I think it depends on whether or not partner is ever
opposition, mood, table feel, state of the match allowed to make this jump rebid of three cards. I think
will determine. it is standard practice that you cannot for example
Zmudzinski: Four Clubs. I hope shows what I have, jump raise a reverse as partner might have only three
not a cue-bid with spades agreed. Two Spades looks cards in it (or even two in extremis) and anyway the
like the only rebid. single raise is forcing. Is it not the same here? I was
Wolff: Four Clubs. And then Five Clubs over Four taught that the sequence 1♣-1♥-2♠-3♠-3NT for
Spades. I realize that playing Four Spades may be example denied four spades and denied a diamond stop
right, but so could Five Clubs and, in this man- and so showed not far off this hand type. But clearly
ner, partner with some slam aspirations should that has gone out of fashion. If you accept that part-
know what to expect from me. If partner bids Four ner can have three spades for the jump to Two Spades,
Diamonds over Four Clubs I’ll leap to Six Clubs. then you cannot afford the luxury of jumping to Four
While Two Spades is far from perfect so are other Spades on a weak hand with four card support as that
alternatives. could be just a silly contract. So all hands with four
Mike fancies another light Two Club opener. This card support have to bid Three Spades. If on the other
one seems further away than the last one to me! hand partner is always supposed to hold four spades
Lawrence: Four Clubs. Two Spades is OK although for Two Spades then that logic holds. Here endeth the
I think it might be better to start with Two Clubs. lecture and we move on to the other lone bid – and
Since 3NT is out of the question now, I am stuck at the other end of the spectrum:
with Four Clubs. It leaves room for a Four Dia- Cannell: Four Spades. Sonny Moyse would approve.
mond bid from partner. Unclear what will net the game bonus, but I will risk
Going up we have those who want to make it even this one in lieu of a complex misdirection auction.
clearer that spades is not where this hand is at: Two Spades is acceptable as a “lesser of evils” option.
Apteker: Five Clubs. Hoping that partner under- Partner held ♠AQxx ♥xxxx ♦J10x ♣xx. Note that
stands that it is to play and that Two Spades was partner would pass the 3NT some panelists want to bid
done on three cards with a strong hand. Four Spades in sleep and watch the opposition cash the diamond
may play better only when partner has good spades. suit. Six Clubs simply requires the clubs to come in so
Greco: Five Clubs. Four Clubs sounds to me like a Enri’s punt is a decent bet but alas Qxx offside takes
spade cue-bid, so I will make a bid that isn’t a cue- care of that. It would however have gained IMPs at
bid for spades and approximately describes my hand, either table in the match as the results were 4♠ down
except for the fact that partner might not play me 2 and 6♠ down 4 caused by the combination of clubs
for a stiff diamond (although I must have some- not coming in and spades breaking 4-2.
thing for my bidding).

 Intermediate
PROBLEM 3 Of course, we need to get to Six Diamonds or 6NT
opposite something like ♠Axxx ♥Ax ♦QJxxxx ♣A
IMPs. Dealer East. E/W Vul. but this is a conundrum to be resolved later in the
action rather than now.
♠ J952 Leufkens: Three Spades. Sounds like 6-4 with part-
♥ KQJ4 ner, as with five diamonds he could pass (especially
♦ AK 7 with four-card major openings) (I agree Enri, partner
♣ J8 has shown 6-4). So 2-1 or 1-2 hearts-clubs. All very
West North East South nice, but it doesn’t matter as I bid what I focused
– – 1♦ Pass on with my 4th suit: supporting spades. If we go to
1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass slam, I might reconsider going to diamonds (♠AKxx
2♣* Double* 2♦ 3♣ ♥Ax ♦Qxxxxx ♣x) but maybe we belong in game
? and then Four Spades might be better than Five
2♣ Fourth suit forcing. Forcing to game Diamonds (♠AQxx ♥xx ♦QJxxxx ♣Q)
Dble Clubs
Rigal: Three Spades. Not sure I see this as a problem
Marks: Three Spades 10, Pass 9, Four Spades 8, (who am I kidding?) I can’t see why one would ever
Three Diamonds 7, Four Diamonds 4, 4NT 4, Five raise diamonds and lose spades. Yes Six Diamonds
Spades 2, Three Hearts 1, Six Diamonds 1, Six might play better than Six Spades but surely Four
Spades 1, 3NT 0 Spades might easily be right when Five Diamonds
Well we bid the fourth suit as we had a hand too good to is going down.
bid Four Spades and were intending to support spades Andrew is as pragmatic as ever:
economically on the next round. Should this opposi- Robson: Three Spades. Even in a bidding chal-
tion intervention change this? “No” say well over half lenge where we’re all constructing hands for part-
the panel, many making the argument that if we don’t ner where Six Diamonds makes but not Six Spades
support spades now partner will never believe that we (partner’s spade losers going on our hearts). But if
have four of them. we don’t bid Three Spades, we’ll never play in Four
Hans: Three Spades. Support with support. It’s too Spades. If we do bid Three Spades, we might still
early for any heroics. get to Six Diamonds (especially if partner’s next
Like several other panelists Adam does not see this bid is Four Clubs).
as a problem: Silver: Three Spades. A gentle Three Spades for now
Zmudzinski: Three Spades. Obvious. showing partner that I am willing to play game (and
Bowyer: Three Spades. I have to support them some only game) in spades. However should partner go
time or other… on a cue-bidding campaign, and I get to Blackwood,
Well actually that is not what the laws say. There I will place the contract in Six Diamonds for safety
was quite a famous hand where John Collings had if we are off a control.
eight card support for his partner’s opening bid and Apteker: Three Spades. Supporting the major and
kept his own counsel throughout the auction. setting suit although diamonds could be the better
Cannell: Three Spades. Sets spades as trump in a slam opposite ♠AKxx ♥Ax ♦Qxxxxx ♣x. If partner
game-forcing auction. “What’s the problem?” shows a club control then the ace of hearts after I
Well Drew the problem is expressed by the following: cue Four Diamonds, we may still be able to get to
Bird: Three Spades. I can see that Six Diamonds Six Diamonds after he shows three keycards.
may be better than Six Spades because it would Always assuming that after RKCB Six Diamonds
allow spades to be thrown on my heart suit. How- would be to play and not some third round ask or
ever, the first task is to find the best game. Partner something…
needs several good cards alongside a club shortage Carruthers: Three Spades. Hadn’t I better tell him
for any slam to be possible. why I bid the 4th suit in the first place? There will
Smith: Three Spades. It is hard to imagine bidding be time for diamonds later if we enter a slam-going
anything else at this point since I presumably rolled auction, I trust. It is possible if he has also weak
out the pitiful crutch at my last turn because I was spades that, for slam purposes, diamonds are better.
too strong for any size of direct spade raise. It seems I suppose we might also have 11 tricks in diamonds
that I should now tell partner that I am forcing to and nine in spades, but a two-trick differential is
game based on a spade fit. We need to play in spades not common. Nevertheless, my hearts hint that
opposite something like ♠AKQx ♥x ♦QJxxxx ♣Ax. that might be the case. Still, it would be unilateral

 Intermediate
to insist upon diamonds at this juncture: ♠KQ10x be more useful in a diamond contract rather than a
♥Ax ♦QJxxx ♣xx etc. spade contract. Opposite ♠Axxx ♥A ♦QJxxxx ♣xx
Rosen: Three Spades. I know we might set dia- Five Diamonds is excellent, but Four Spades is poor.
monds since for slam purposes we might dump It must be a Scottish thing (maybe The Curse doesn’t
spade losers on our hearts – however it might not apply if diamonds are trumps?) as the only panelist
be a slam. It would then be our last chance to set agreeing with John is his compatriot.
spades as trumps. If partner cues in clubs we can Sime: Three Diamonds. We might belong in Six
always suggest a diamond slam later. Diamonds opposite ♠AKxx ♥Ax ♦Qxxxxx ♣x or
Greco: Three Spades. While I don’t have a great similar. I doubt Five Diamonds is in danger, even
hand for partner I have enough to bid Three Spades. if we don’t manage to land in Four Spades after I
If I bid four I don’t think partner will go again with discover that partner doesn’t have the goods.
♠AKQx ♥Ax ♦Qxxxxx ♣x. Well the panel have told us the problems of Three
Which brings us neatly to the four panelists who Spades and Four Spades losing diamonds, and John
think they have done their bit and bid Four Spades. and Iain’s Three Diamonds surely loses spades forever.
This is stronger than Four Spades on the last round but What about this then:
weaker than Three Spades now as expressed by Mike: Kokish: Pass. We needn’t end in spades, particularly
Lawrence: Four Spades. Bidding the fourth suit if we get to slam, but if I support diamonds now,
before raising to Four Spades shows a better hand envisioning spade discards on hearts, we can’t reach
than a direct Four Spades bid. This hand is mini- Four Spades. By passing I can see whether East bids
mum in that context and with minimum spade sup- Three Diamonds, Three Hearts on honor-doubleton,
port and poor clubs, I choose Four Spades. or doubles with two clubs and nothing special. The
Phillip also sees the problems: danger in East thinking my delayed Three Spades
Alder: Four Spades. This is “impossible” because if it denies a fourth spade is not particularly significant,
is a game-only deal, we wish to play in Four Spades, and as I believe Two Diamonds showed at least
partner holding: ♠KQ10x ♥A ♦QJ10xxx ♣xx. But six-four (concur – there is no pattern in Acol where
if it is a slam deal, we need to be in Six Diamonds, partner won’t be 6-4. He has already shown 5-4 by
partner’s hand being: ♠AKxx ♥Ax ♦QJ10xxx ♣x. 1♦-1♥-1♠ unless 4-1-4-4 and the opposition double
At least my auction is a slam try, but it is in spades. of Two Clubs would allow him to Pass or Redouble
Getting back into diamonds will be nigh impos- with that. Hence a free Two Diamonds shows 6-4), I
sible unless a clever partner bids 5NT, pick a slam. expect to learn about his rounded-suit length often
I think this is a more realistic assessment from Phil- enough to make Pass the most attractive choice
lip. Having agreed spades getting back to diamonds is over Three Clubs.
going to be a tough ask. I am less sanguine than Eric that partner will ever
Teramoto: Four Spades. Four Spades via fourth suit believe we have four spades if we pass here, but other
shows a sound FG hand. It is enough with this hand. than that it seems to have an awful lot going for it.
Partner with ♠AKQx ♥Ax ♦QJxxxx ♣x can go on. Sally and Ben agree:
I am sure he will with that hand, but will he go Brock: Pass. Need to hear something else from
on with many of the other hands that the panel men- partner. He could have ♠Axxx ♥A ♦QJxxxx ♣xx
tions – particularly those where Six Diamonds but in which case we want to play in diamonds, or
not Six Spades makes? ♠AKQx ♥x ♦QJxxxx ♣xx when spades is the only
Wolff: Four Spades. Only. It is about the most I game. I would expect him to bid Three Hearts on
can have and probably is well placed, but to bid the former and Three Spades on the latter. Or he
anything artificial, especially Four Clubs and then might have a singleton club when he can easily bid
support spades is too much. Obviously partner Four Clubs.
can have ♠Axxx ♥A ♦QJxxxxx ♣x or ♠Axxx ♥Ax Green: Pass. Partner is marked with 4-6 in spades
♦QJxxxx ♣x making Five Diamonds cold, but not and diamonds, if he has two hearts and one club
Four Spades and what about ♠Kxxx, in spades with then we may well make a slam. Opposite ♠Axxx
the ace of hearts. However, there is always a chance ♥Ax ♦Q10xxxx ♣A Six Diamonds is excellent but
he doesn’t have that type of hand. Six Spades doesn’t have a prayer. If partner can bid
For the second time in three hands I am shocked Three Hearts (clearly showing a doubleton) over
by John Matheson’s choice: my pass then we’re off to the races. If he can’t then
Matheson: Three Diamonds. My heart honours will I can bid spades or diamonds later on and we will
most likely play in spades.

 Intermediate
I am persuaded by these arguments and have light shapely double even if my hand suggests that
upgraded Pass accordingly. that is more likely than usual. In any case, 3NT
Not surprisingly given it is a bidding problem part- becomes easier when the defensive strength is con-
ner had one of the hands that made Six Diamonds but centrated in one hand. I guess passing is an alter-
not Six Spades – ♠AKxx ♥Ax ♦QJxxxx ♣x. Neither native, but we will need to put One Spade a lot off
pair at the table had the right set of spanners to undo if we can make game. A lot off looks improbable
that conundrum. with my spade suit.
And not off at all seems entirely possible.
PROBLEM 4 Alder: 2NT. Or Pass, but that seems too risky, espe-
cially at IMPs.
IMPs. Dealer North. E/W Vul. Smith: 2NT. Natural and limited. A bit good for
♠ 96432 1NT (my second choice) and not quite good enough
♥ AQ 2 for 3NT. Of the other options, I’m not sure which
♦ A9 is crazier, passing for penalties or making a jump
♣ J52 response in a three card suit.
Apteker: 2NT. The value bid and a bit more aggres-
sive given VUL and teams. 1NT could work out
– 1♠ Double Pass
better as partner could be shading.
?
Which brings us to the other mainstream choice:
Marks: 2NT 10, 1NT 9, Two Hearts 7, Two Spades Kokish: 1NT. It’s not a crime to be maximum, even
7, Two Clubs 6, 3NT 4, Pass 3, Three Hearts 2 vulnerable. (Really? I thought it was a capital offence) The
Lots of values, but no suit for partner and no real combining value of this spade holding is mildly prom-
spade stopper (though we would be slightly unlucky if ising, but even if the suit blocks or produces a second
the opposition could simply cash them out). 17 of the stopper perforce, there is no obvious source of tricks, and
23 strong panel simply bid the number of no-trumps if East passes 1NT, why should that miss a good game?
they think is appropriate on the hand, and by a vote
of nine to eight that is 2NT over 1NT. ACBL Encyclopedia of
Green: 2NT. Right on values but I’d rather have Bridge
a better spade stop. I can’t think of an alternative
really. 1NT? Pass – yuck! Official ACBL Encyclopedia of Bridge–
Several panelists mention Pass but no one bids it. 7th Edition
My views entirely accord with yours Ben. Looks like
a way to record -260 with +600 available. Edited by Brent Manley, 600+ pages
Bird: 2NT. Do I remember this hand from a story (Hardback)
called ‘The Tale of the Nine of Spades’? (Unless the OUT NOW
same hand has come up at the table then No) Maybe RRP £49.95 SUBSCRIBERS’ £45 + post free
not, but 2NT is what I’m going to bid. I’m expect- to UK customers (£10 for overseas customers)
ing votes for Pass and 1NT, but I can’t get enthu-
siastic about either of those efforts. The most complete volume of bridge informa-
Various degrees of enthusiasm about 2NT exist. tion and instruction ever compiled.
Enri is quite happy: Over 600 easy-to read and easy-to-search
Leufkens: 2NT. Almost perfect, ♠9 is enough. Four pages
Hearts if partner has only four doesn’t go well as
long trumps have to ruff and over-ruffs threaten. • Thousands of entries
If he doesn’t like 3NT he can say so. covering bridge terms,
conventions, sys-
Barry and Neil seem to be as well:
tems, rules, and top
Rigal: 2NT. No idea what else might work but
personalities.
inviting game (which will be fine unless LHO has
♠AKQJ10) seems right for values. • Contains a CD-ROM
containing hundreds of
Rosen: 2NT – no heroics.
extra biographies that
Others see alternatives:
didn't make the printed
Sime: 2NT. I won’t live in fear of partner having a edition

 Intermediate
Greco: 1NT. Certainly this is heavy on points, but Several panelists have mentioned bidding a three
with no certain fit or stopper we may need a bit card suit (usually with disdain). Three go for it:
extra to make game. If partner turns out to have Teramoto: Two Hearts. He may be an underbid but
five hearts or clubs we likely have underbid. Three Hearts is an overbid with only three hearts.
Again we have those who think it is close: 1NT is possible but Two Hearts is better opposite
Brock: 1NT. No real answer to this. I’d rather guess a stiff spade.
low and hope to at least score a plus score, rather Robson: Two Hearts. Live a little.
than go to the stratosphere with no sensible trump And entirely on his own:
suit. Silver: Two Clubs. I have a lot of high cards, but
Lawrence: 1NT. Other bids include 2NT, Two alas no suits so nowhere to go unless my OX has five
Hearts, and perhaps Three Hearts. But not a Pass. cards in one of my rounded suits (jumping around
If I had the 109 of spades, I would opt for 2NT. in a three card suit without knowing if an eight card
Matheson: 1NT. I have plenty points, but poor fit exists seems foolish to me) and the best way to
spades. Change a small into the ten and I bid 2NT. find out is to give partner a lot of room to express
Now where have I heard that before? himself (hopefully he will have something to say)
Wolff: 1NT. Since passing doesn’t appeal and to which Two Clubs by me certainly does.
bid 2NT (certainly a close second choice) might Yes but it is also the weakest bid you can make and
have no chance if we wind up in a NT game. The partner will need significant extras to bid on. I think
bidding is not over and the next round may make partner is going to be rather shocked to see you with
it clear what to do. an 11 count for this action.
Do we particularly expect a next round unless part- Partner held ♠A ♥J1087 ♦J843 ♣AKQ4 so Two
ner raises NTs? Clubs and Two Hearts will be passed and 1NT may
And we have those who think it pretty clear: be; 2NT will get an easy raise to game and Two Spades
Zmudzinski: 1NT. At least shows the point range . will end in 3NT I suppose. Opener has ♠KQJ10x
Hans: 1NT. I cannot see any alternative. Two ♥Kxxx ♦Kx ♣xx so will need to lead a low spade to
Spades is effectively a game-force and 2NT is flawed. beat it. Much easier to beat if partner is playing it.
Which brings us to the minority choice of Two
Spades: PROBLEM 5
Bowyer: Two Spades. Hate it but hate all other
actions more. At Pairs I’d be more conservative (and IMPs. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
maybe bid a quiet Two Hearts) but you can’t afford ♠ AJ 8 5 2
to miss vulnerable games at this form of scoring. I ♥ Q852
think we are going to play Four Hearts on a 4-3 fit ♦ KQ5
here but 3NT is still in the frame. ♣4
I don’t understand how you are going to find out
Paul. Unless you intend to bid 3NT on the next round
1♠ 3♥* 4♣ Pass
how is partner going to know NTs are in the picture?
?
And if you do bid 3NT on the next round why will
3♥ Natural and intermediate (about 12-15 with a
partner pull to Four Hearts? Sure your sequence shows good six card suit)
doubt but what will partner do about it?
Cannell: Two Spades. Eric R. Murray once chas- Marks: Four Diamonds 10, Five Clubs 8, 4NT 7,
tised me for leaving in a takeout double sequence Pass 6, Four Spades 6, Four Hearts 3, All other bids 1
with trumps similar to these. I listened. I play this OK this is the second hand in a few months that never
cue-bid as any 11+ HCP hand type. The real prob- was. Problem 1 of Set 286 featured a hand of ♠Q
lem likely comes on the next round.  ♥82 ♦K8 ♣KJ1097643 after the auction 1♠ – 3♥
Well quite! Unless you are intending to pass part- – ? and the panel were split between Four Clubs, Five
ner’s bid you are effectively forcing to game, which is Clubs, Pass and a couple for Double. Then the hand
very much against the panel’s judgment of the hand. opposite was ♠AJ9xx ♥K9xx ♦x ♣Axx so would have
Carruthers: Two Spades. No bid of any suit (or of no problems over Four Clubs. In correspondence with
no-trumps) is appropriate. Let’s make him bid his Mike Lawrence after the hand he asked what would
best suit instead. That way, he can take the trick I bid after 1♠ – 3♥ – 4♣ – Pass – ?? on the hand we
two (or trick one) force and go off. Who knows, he now have. He said that he personally would Pass. I
might even bid no-trumps (yeah yeah – really likely). said that I could not imagine anyone passing on this

 Intermediate
side of the pond, but thought it was an interesting tactical error with this problem. I should have reversed
problem anyway as to what you do actually bid. So the minors and had partner bid Four Diamonds, not
here it is. And true to his word is: Four Clubs. As it was I allowed the panel a get out of
Lawrence: Pass. I understand that Pass is not ‘legal’ jail free card (well nearly free) and over half the panel
but we are faced with disasters on two fronts. We grabbed it with both hands:
can bid too much and get doubled, which will surely Bowyer: Four Diamonds. Impossible problem.
be bad. Or, if I Pass, we can miss a game or slam. However, I am not going to support clubs with
This is a rare case for being practical and deciding just a singleton (if Five Clubs is right, partner can
which bullet to dodge. My expectation is that Four bid it) and hate the idea of bidding Four Spades on
Clubs will go down a couple. If so, it could be a such poxy trumps. Besides, isn’t that ♥2 the ♦2?
good result. That Three Hearts bid really made a The light is so bad in here… How many think 4NT
mess of this hand and auction. should be natural after this auction?
And who agrees with him? Let’s see… Well several Drew must be playing the same room as Paul:
panelists mention the possibility but all reject it, so Cannell: Four Diamonds. Gulp. I am leaving part-
that is…. no one. Sorry Mike. Since we have started ner as much room as possible to decide this issue.
with the minority choices let’s continue with them: Sorry partner – the Heart Two was mixed in with
Zmudzinski: Four Spades. We are playing four my diamonds.
card majors. Alon and Eric put the arguments well:
Carruthers: Four Spades. UGH. I am not bidding Apteker: Four Diamonds. Horrible problem! Giv-
Four Diamonds on three, nor my fifth-round heart ing partner room and allowing him to bid Four
control, nor Blackwood, nor raising him. What’s Spades with a doubleton or Five Clubs with a strong
left is the unlovely Four Spades. God help us. I’ll suit. My spades are not strong enough to bid Four
remonstrate with him afterward for not doubling Spades which could also stop partner from rebid-
instead. ding Five Clubs when that may be right.
Several panelists mention 4NT as natural. Have Kokish: Four Diamonds. Looks like a problem
you discussed this in your partnerships dear readers? from Reese’s Develop Your Bidding Judgment in
Two panelists bid it: which the maestro unabashedly plumped for a
Leufkens: 4NT. Natural. Even while I’ve got a Pass – the bid we’d all be wishing to make at the
spade extra, this hand doesn’t feel like spades if part- table but would reject as a partnership killer. 4NT
ner can’t support. Four Diamonds sounds nice but is natural and ugly and might be what East would
partner will stupidly raise with four card support. expect me to bid with this junk, but as it goes past
Green: 4NT. Would 4NT be natural here? If I had Four Spades and East could easily have acceptable
a good hand for clubs I could bid Four Hearts? I spade support, I think the practical choices are
suppose some might play 4NT as RKC and Four Four Diamonds and Four Hearts, but Four Hearts
Hearts as looking for the best game. only if our understanding is that it is defined as a
Some support partner on the singleton and hope cry for help until further notice. Good problem
that is the right thing to do, often rejecting 4NT due that inevitably would benefit from a partnership
to the ambiguity: agreement.
Greco: Five Clubs. While Pass maybe right, I don’t And do you know what Four Hearts would be in
want to break partnership trust and will just raise your partnerships dear readers? I am sure undiscussed
partner since I have no other descriptive bid to .I would assume it was a good hand for clubs….
make and I think 4NT would be RKCB without Silver: Four Diamonds. Although tempted to
discussion. Pass, I’ll be a good partner and soldier on, which
Alder: Five Clubs. Would 4NT be natural? of course is the problem. Unfortunately with such
Robson: Five Clubs. Weird I know, but so is part- lousy spades I certainly don’t want to tempt part-
ner’s Four Club bid. With any hand that might ner into playing Four Spades unless the suggestion
want to play 3NT or Four Spades he’d double. So comes from him. So for lack of anything else I’ll
he’s got a 1-1-4-7 or 2-1-3-7 type, in which case bid my fragment now, and find out where East was
Five Clubs should be best. intending to go when he bid Four Clubs.
Bird: Five Clubs. He must have a good suit and Teramoto: Four Diamonds. Natural and he may
my side-suit cards will be of some use. He would expect four cards in diamonds. I have no idea what
expect much better spades if I tried Four Spades now. may be a better spot. If I bid 4NT it is natural, but
Having seen the panel’s responses I realised I made a I don’t like it with this hand.

 Intermediate
Sime: Four Diamonds. Amazingly we are play- PROBLEM 6
ing against the last IJO pair in the universe again
(yeah well the reason for that is as explained above), Pairs. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
and they have zapped us again! I make the cheap-
est sensible bid again, but this time out of des- ♠ 10 8 7
peration, rather than a treasure hunt. At least ♥ A K 10
a raise is less likely since partner didn’t double ♦ 9753
Three Hearts. ♣ K32
Rosen: Four Diamonds. No real choice here, West North East South
leaves room for spades, clubs or a slam try from – – – 2♥*
partner. Pass Pass Double Pass
Matheson: Four Diamonds. I don’t like the way ?
this is going. I do not want to play in spades unless 2♥ 5♥ and 4+m, weak
partner supports them. Marks: Pass 10, 3NT 9, 2NT 8, Two Spades 7,
Hans: Four Diamonds. Natural. Three Diamonds 7, Three Hearts 3, Three Clubs 1
Bobby is as pragmatic as ever: A typical problem of what to do. Partner could well
Wolff: Four Diamonds. The best choice of a poor be light as he doubled fourth in hand and so we have
lot. Partner must realize that he might have put no guarantees of anything. At teams we would be
me in an embarrassing rebid position, although concerned about our vulnerable game bonus and not
that knowledge will not necessarily clear any- conceding 470, but at Pairs all we care about is the
thing up. plus score and anything that generates our best shot
Barry, Sally and Marc introduce us to some 21st at a decent one. Paul Bowyer sent me this hand. At
century science: the table he opted for Two Spades and sees no reason
Rigal: Four Diamonds. Passing...not for me. Yes to change his opinion now:
we should switch minors here as in all these com- Bowyer: Two Spades. Well, I held this hand so know
petitive auctions Four Clubs = diamonds, Four what to do (sort of ). Best is Three Diamonds as
Diamonds = Clubs. Four Diamonds is natural but partner has doubled on a moderate 4-2-5-2 hand.
what else can we do? You don’t get close to 3NT (nor 2NT, come to that)
So partner would bid Four Diamonds to show clubs. (Unless I have the hand completely wrong 2NT is cold
Oh how wonderful! I believe). Three Diamonds is cold and I scrambled
Brock: Four Diamonds. I was persuaded by Sabine eight tricks in Two Spades for the same score. So
and Dani (Auken and von Arnim) that in this type put me down for Two Spades, which is what I did
of sequence all minor-suited hands should start bid. How many noticed this was Pairs, by the way?
with a double (they generally want to play NTs fac- Quite a few actually.
ing a stopper from partner anyway) and that bids Paul had one supporter for his effort – and a surprising
of four of a minor show a fit for partner. Another one to me (I thought Andrew would be a banker for Pass).
reason to play this system is that it saves me from Robson: Two Spades. 2NT would be pick a minor
problems like this! I suppose (Would it? The panel thinks it is Leben-
Smith: Four Diamonds. Assuming that Four sohl). Pass is possible but +110 v +100 looks the
Clubs is natural in BMS (see below), I’ll give likely situation.
partner a chance to offer spades as an alterna- When I first saw the hand I thought that Pass was
tive game before settling for game in his minor. the percentage action by some distance. It is only Pairs
The alternative seems to be a raise to Five Clubs. so who cares about -470 ;-), +100 will beat all the
Who knows, maybe diamond values is exactly negative scores and +300 will beat anything accept
what he wants to hear about – something like game (assuming you can make one which is not cop-
♠x ♥x ♦Axx ♣AKQJxxxx or ♠Kx ♥– ♦J10xx per bottomed.) Eight panelists agreed with me – just
♣AKQJxxx? On grounds of frequency, though, enough for the 10 marks.
I think bids of Four Clubs/Four Diamonds by Apteker: Pass. No reason to believe 3NT will make.
responder here are better played as cue-bids agree- We may even take this down four when it does.
ing opener’s major. With a single-suited hand in Zmudzinski: Pass. If partner is strong there is a
the major, responder has to bid 3NT or jump to big chance for +800, if weak, any plus score will
game in his suit. be above average.
There is of course no companion hand.

 Intermediate
Smith: Pass. With game far from certain our way, Silver: 2NT. Or 3NT.I don’t fancy defending at the
even +100 could be a good matchpoint score, and two level when the villains have a possible nine card
+300 on a partscore deal would not be at all unex- fit (I agree with Barry – there is almost no chance they
pected. Considering the sort of garbage that many have a nine card fit – North would have raised with
players open this type of bid on these days, par- four card support. Hence I think it is certain partner
ticularly at ‘green’, I am always willing to gamble has two hearts (at least!) making Pass more attrac-
on a pass when it is a sensible option. If we can tive), it just ain’t LAWful. So I’ll try for a vulner-
make game, the penalty could easily be enough able game bonus instead.
to outscore those who bid a boring P-P-P-strong Carruthers: 2NT. Is this Lebensohl? If so, I may
1NT-P-3NT. be forced to bid 3NT next. I don’t mind that since
Hans: Pass. Lets take our 300 and hope 3NT does not the alternatives are even more unpleasant. I am
make. If my hand were a shade stronger, I’d try 3NT. NOT bidding Three Diamonds, which may well
Rigal: Pass. When they don’t raise hearts they rate be South’s second suit, nor a three-card suit of my
for sure not to have four at this vulnerability. Will own. I’ll live with the consequences of 2NT instead.
guess to lead a spade and play to go plus. Hope- One vote behind Pass with seven votes was 3NT –
fully facing eg a 4-2-3-4 12-count we get 300 with including those panelists who believe 2NT is Leben-
no game our way. sohl anyway. I have to say this just seems an egregious
They all seem pretty happy. Neil and David are a overbid to me. Imagine how many tricks this hand will
bit more worried: make opposite a 4-1-4-4 11 count and why should
Rosen: Pass. Very tough problem. Obviously we partner have more than that (and could have less)?
can’t bid 2NT as that would be Lebensohl. We Still who am I to argue with the likes of:
might just blast 3NT I suppose. Bidding a ‘good’ Wolff: 3NT. A common situation which sometimes
Three Diamonds seems a little weird as could well causes my hand to adjust to partner’s aggressiveness,
even be their second suit. but to bid anything less than 3NT, even with part-
Indeed. There are even fewer guarantees of perfect ner in the balancing position is allowing too much
shape from partner when he has doubled in the pro- leeway to partner.
tective seat. Greco: 3NT. This hand might play real well for us
Sime: Pass. “Pairs” should specify “trying to win” in NT, even opposite a 12-13 count, so I will make
or “trying to qualify.” If I was looking for a 55% a slight overbid to 3NT, and I assume I can’t bid
game I would bid Two Spades (Hmmm – my expe- 2NT anyways as that is Lebensohl.
rience of trying to get a 55% score is that you end up Kokish: 3NT, as if the ♥10 were the jack or queen,
with a 45% score). However, I would need a lot of although it might not turn out the same way for us.
overtricks to beat 300. If 2NT is Lebensohl (a footnote would be in order)
Bird: Pass. Many players, including myself, use we could bid a constructive Three Diamonds, but
2NT as Lebensohl in response to a double, even a that could get us to a silly contract on occasion. A
protective double. Perhaps BM has not yet adopted natural 2NT is certainly reasonable and probably
this wonderful method and 2NT is available? I will enough with this hand when East could be stretch-
neatly side-step the tedious task of looking up the ing a bit with good shape. I’m bidding 3NT to
approved system by choosing to defend instead. remind my remaining fans that I have a wild side
Talking of Lebensohl this is not yet part of the system that insists on coming out when the moon is full.
but doubtless will be when the system update is finally Cannell: 3NT. I note that Lebensohl does not apply
rebooted. So extra marks to those panelists (five of yet in BM Standard. Otherwise I may try 2NT fol-
them) who know we can bid a natural 2NT and do so. lowed by 3NT to portray this hand. Hamman’s
Teramoto: 2NT. I am happy to show this hand by Rule #1 applies here.
2NT as we don’t play Lebensohl after a double of a Lawrence: 3NT. Should be able to play the hand
weak two major. If we play Lebensohl I bid Three well, assuming it can be done. I expect that partner
Diamonds to show natural and extras. has something like takeout double shape or some
Green: 2NT. What would 2NT be in BM Stand- kind of good hand.
ard? If natural then I would be delighted to bid it, Brock: 3NT. Who knows? Alternative, obviously, is
but I suspect it may be Lebensohl. to pass, but I don’t really know what to lead and it
Alder: 2NT. Or Three Diamonds. Is 2NT Leben- might only be 100 when we can make a partscore.
sohl? If not, that is my advance; but if it is, I bid So I’ll go for the lot.
Three Diamonds. Matheson: 3NT. My tens will be useful.

 Intermediate
But maybe not as useful as a load of aces and kings… Hans: Three Diamonds. Fifth suit forcing. Hop-
Completely on his own (there have been an awful ing for a descriptive action by partner. While he’ll
lot of solo bids this month – all the more surprising probably bid 3NT with ♦Qx which I’ll probably
with a large panel) is Enri who bids his ratty suit pass, there are other more serious issues with actions
Leufkens: Th ree Diamonds. Values and dia- like Three Hearts and Four Clubs.
monds. Maybe slightly max in values (but not Leufkens: Three Diamonds. It’s not clear
after 4th hand double) and slightly weak in dia- what’s best: Four Hearts/Five Clubs/Six Clubs.
monds; does it compensate? Pass doesn’t seem Don’t choose one alternative now, but try to
smart as usually partner will go on to 3NT if find out.
he’s non-minimum, and that will be more than Smith: Three Diamonds. Fifth suit forcing – not
doubled down tricks. ideal, but bypassing 3NT by raising clubs is hardly
Partner held ♠Axxx ♥xx ♦AQxxx ♣Q10 and guaranteed either opposite something like ♠—-
opener was 2-5-2-4 with ♦Kx. To beat Two Hearts ♥Axxxx ♦Jxx ♣AKQxx. I am not a fan of bidding
doubled, you need to find the club ruff, so +100 Two Diamonds on this hand – prefer the slight
is all you can get from Two Hearts doubled which underbid of Three Clubs, but then I am used to a
fails to beat the partscores. Meanwhile with opener style where partner opens any old junk so we could
having ♦Kx and North the queen and jack of hearts easily have only a combined 22-23 count here.
(!!!) 3NT is a slow one down. Marc is not the only one to mention that Two Dia-
monds was a bit of an overbid, but hey I am an old
PROBLEM 7 man – I don’t open junk. Indeed one of my Gold Cup
opponents laughed at me when I passed a 1-4-3-5 12
IMPs. Dealer East. All Vul. count including a stiff ♠Q.
♠ AK 5 3 Robson: Three Diamonds. Fifth suit forcing. Rais-
♥ KJ ing to Four Clubs will make playing Four Hearts
♦ 743 difficult. Bidding Three Hearts shows (in my view)
♣ J963 three hearts, making playing in Six Clubs (or even
Five Clubs) difficult. Bidding Three Diamonds will
learn about partner’s remainder shape, ie whether
– – 1♥ Pass
he’s one spade and two diamonds or two spades
1♠ Pass 2♣ Pass
and one diamond.
2♦* Pass 3♣ Pass
Green: Three Diamonds. I’m torn between Three
?
Diamonds (fourth suit) and Four Clubs. Bid-
2♦ Fourth suit forcing. Forcing to game.
ding Three Diamonds and then Four Clubs will
Marks: Four Clubs 10, Three Diamonds 8, Three not normally deliver four trumps so I am a bit
Hearts 8, Five Clubs 6, Four Hearts 5, Three Spades worried about that, against that if we don’t have
2, 3NT 1 a slam on and we have a 6-2 (5-2) fit then we
For the first and only time this set we have a three should be able to get there when partner bids
way panel split. We have a minimum force to game, Three Hearts.
but our cards are steadily improving – a known nine The last two panelists bring us to the mainstream
card club fit, golden hearts and no wasted values. I action – the old fashioned idea of supporting partner
was wondering how many of the panel would chose with primary support. Half the panel for that:
Three Diamonds, arguing that this is fifth suit forc- Lawrence: Four Clubs. Good problem. Would
ing – just another noise to get partner to describe their like to find a way to suggest hearts as a trump
hand. A bit of theory here. Firstly can you show length suit without losing touch with clubs. Can’t see a
in the fourth suit? For example if you have a 6-5 game way to do that. If I bid Four Clubs, I can’t later
force and the auction starts 1♥ – 1♠ – 2♣ can you bid Four Hearts over Four Diamonds as a signoff.
show diamonds at any point? Many pairs use a jump Guess I’m stuck with Four Clubs. Almost wish
in the fourth suit (Three Diamonds here) as natural; I had made a conservative raise to Three Clubs
others treat Two Diamonds then Three Diamonds as earlier. Having seen some of the trash that gets
natural and still others don’t bother at all. Something opened these days, plus 110 could be a great
else to discuss with your favourite partner. Here five result.
panelists go for Three Diamonds. They make a pretty I refer the honourable gentleman to my earlier
good case for it: comment.

 Intermediate
Mike and Joey are not on the same page with respect Rigal: Three Hearts. A jump to Four Hearts would
to the nature of Four Hearts after Four Diamonds: be a better hand in our suits (maybe ♠AKxx ♥KJx
Silver: Four Clubs. It seems appropriate at this point ♦xxx ♣Qxx) and Three Hearts is simply natural
to show partner that my fourth suit forcing was and forcing. I understand forcing to game here, but
based on a club fit. I intend to pass Four Hearts if at Pairs I might invite to Three Hearts over Two
bid, or bid Four Hearts over Four Diamonds. The Clubs and try to go plus. KJ doubleton is the same
rest is up to partner. as three-card support isn’t it?
Kokish: Four Clubs. A bit too much slam poten- Cannell: Three Hearts. This is seemingly a choice
tial to bury the fourth club with direct heart pref- between Three Hearts and Four Clubs. The king-
erence. If partner is short in diamonds and clubs jack of hearts sways me towards the major-suit strain.
are not solid, we might get tapped out playing in Perhaps there are only ten tricks in hearts or clubs?
hearts, and though it could be right to end in 3NT Sime: Three Hearts. We might belong in 3NT, Four
when East is 0-5-3-5 or 1-5-2-5 with two diamond Hearts or Five Clubs. Or a partial, but it is too late
guards, I’m not smart enough to get there. for that. So let’s make the cheapest sensible bid again
Rosen: Four Clubs. Getting back to hearts may be and see what I can find out.
tricky I suppose if I do this but it just feels so clean Bowyer: Three Hearts. Just a probe. Four Hearts
with such prime cards. could prove easier than Five Clubs.
Bird: Four Clubs. My Two Diamonds may have And how are you ever going to find out? Partner
been the best move available, but it was pushing will most likely bid Four Hearts or 3NT.
it a bit with no clear game denomination in mind. Wolff: Three Hearts. Yes Two Diamonds is a small
Partner’s club rebid is hardly unwelcome and I must overbid, but now I would bid Three Hearts only
surely raise the suit. and, of course, pass Four Hearts by partner. After
Zmudzinski: Four Clubs. There is a chance for a bidding Two Diamonds I would not consider now
slam. raising to Four Clubs, since the ten trick game may
Apteker: Four Clubs. My hand has excellent poten- easily be the limit to this problem.
tial. If partner bids Four Diamonds, I will cue Four This was the bid chosen at the table. I continued
Spades. If partner bids Four Hearts, I will Pass. with Four Clubs, partner raised to five and I award-
Greco: Four Clubs. This seems fairly straightfor- ing myself a sixth as I had lots of aces and kings – ♠-
ward, although Four Hearts maybe our spot I don’t ♥Axxxxx ♦Ax ♣AK10xx. With clubs 2-2 and hearts
feel like faking three card support by starting with 3-2 with the queen onside this was Mould proof.
Three Hearts.
Carruthers: Four Clubs. I KNE/W we’d get back
to Four Clubs eventually (see John’s comment on
problem 2). This hand has appreciated on the bid-
ding. Now, if only he has a stiff diamond … If he
has xxx in diamonds we had better play in Four
Hearts, yes? But how to do it?
Alder: Four Clubs. If partner next bids Four Hearts,
CARD TABLES
I guess I would Pass. FOR SALE
Matheson: Four Clubs. This is a good natural bid.
On a good day partner has Ax of diamonds in a Refurbished old tables standard size
1-5-2-5, or small singleton diamond in a 2-5-1-5 with new green baize top
and all my cards are working well. £29 each
Teramoto: Four Clubs. Just supporting and set-
ting trumps. It should not be RKCB (it certainly Will deliver within reasonable distance
isn’t in BM standard!) because it is the first time to DANNY ROTH
show support. 47 Bearing Way, CHIGWELL,
The final six panelists, perhaps concerned about the ESSEX IG7 4NB
minimum nature of their game force, give weight to
their strong doubleton heart. 020 8501 1643 tel/fax dannyroth@btinternet.com
Brock: Three Hearts. I want partner to show some
sign of enthusiasm before I go looking for a club
slam. If he just bids Four Hearts I’ll call it a day.

 Intermediate
PROBLEM 8 but you don’t expect the perfect hand opposite.
Greco: Pass. It seems unlikely that slam is good
IMPs. Dealer East. E/W Vul. unless I catch a doubleton club and a ruffing value
like Kx of a major, but since partner could have
♠ A 10 5 2 shown something like that over Two Spades with a
♥ A 10 9 Three Club bid, why would I play him for a hand
♦— that he shouldn’t have?
♣ A K Q 10 9 3 Fair point.
West North East South Cannell: Pass. The misfit and transportation prob-
– – 1♦ Pass lems colour me chicken. There is certainly no guar-
2♣ Pass 2♦* Pass antee that there are six club tricks. That will leave
2♠* Pass 3♦ Pass us well short of twelve tricks in any strain. Partner
3♥* Pass 3NT Pass chose to rebid only Two Diamonds, so the solidity
? of those diamonds is suspect in the long run.
2♦ ♦
In BM Standard 2 is not forcing Hans: Pass. Hope it makes.
2♠ Natural and game forcing
If 3NT doesn’t make I would be looking very closely
3♥ Fourth suit forcing
at partner’s opening bid!
Marks: Pass 10, Four Clubs 9, 4NT 7, Five Dia- Silver: Pass. Since partner has shown a non-fitting
monds 6, Four Diamonds 4, 5NT 4, Five Clubs minimum opening bid, I give up on any ambition
2, 6NT 2
for slam that I previously held when West opened
We have an extremely good hand facing an opening the bidding. Now I am just looking for our most
bid. Against that partner seems to have no support for likely game.
us and has done nothing but make minimum bids. Matheson: Pass. Partner is minimum with six or
Even so I am genuinely surprised that nearly half the seven diamonds plus something in hearts. Slam
panel – enough for the 10 marks – decide to give up seems unlikely, and although Five Diamonds might
right now. Leading the pack to preserve his conserva- be a better game stopping in 3NT looks the per-
tive reputation is: centage play.
Bowyer: Pass. Finally an easy one. Why on earth Apteker: Pass. Slam seems unlikely although oppo-
would you want to bid on? Opposite ♠Jxx ♥Qxx site ♠xx ♥KQx ♦KQJ10xxx ♣x Six Diamonds is
♦AKJxxx ♣x f ’rinstance, what slam do you think excellent.
you might make? Teramoto: Pass. We only have a small chance for
Well I have been in worse contracts than 6NT and a slam.
presumably we can stop in 4NT – which seems to be Zmudzinski: Pass. I do not think I have a higher bid.
very close to cold. Bird: Pass. ‘Call me eccentric but I think my clubs
Leufkens: Pass. Enough is enough, he can’t bid any are worth a second mention.’ Well, Four Clubs
more negative than this. Sure, it can be a good slam was indeed my first answer but I have changed my
mind. Will I regret it for the rest of my days? Only
the Director knows the answer.
I do indeed and will reveal all soon. However that
YOUNG CHELSEA comment segues us into the next most popular choice
of four Clubs:
Lawrence: Four Clubs. Not willing to give up or to
BRIDGE CLUB guess the right final contract. If partner bids 4NT
now, it is to play. If he bids Four Diamonds, I can
One of the World’s Great Bridge Clubs bid Four Hearts. A sequence in flux.
Duplicate every weekday evening Brock: Four Clubs. Feel I must have one more go.
Maybe Six Diamonds is the right place to play?
Tel: 020 7373 1665 Funny you should mention that – John is thinking
similar thoughts and gives us a full analysis:
www.ycbc.co.uk Carruthers: Four Clubs. I’m not quite ready to
give up yet. If he has something like ♠Kx ♥Kxx
♦KQJ10xxx ♣x we can play Six Diamonds. On the
other hand, he could have ♠Qx ♥Kx ♦KQxxxxx

 Intermediate
♣Jx, in which case we must play in clubs. At some death threats to my house ). The disadvantage is that
point in the near future, I may well bid 5NT to offer we haven’t found out as much about partner’s hand
him a choice of slam, and with me never having as we might have done, since he may still have a few
supported diamonds, he won’t bid Six Diamonds extras in this auction, whereas we would know he
unless they are solid. The problem is that he might didn’t if his Three Diamonds was non-forcing as it
have ♠Kxx ♥Kxx ♦KQxxxxx ♣-, in which case would be in standard methods.
he’ll bid Four Diamonds over Four Clubs and I’ll Rosen: Four Clubs. One last try.
have to subside in game (I’ll choose Five Clubs). Two panelists try and un-murk the auction with
But if he cooperates with four of a major, I’ll get a simple quantitative raise in NTs. Often this raise
us to slam. Finally, what if he bids Five Clubs over tends to deny any support and often shows a decent
Four Clubs? Would he feel compelled to bid Four suit, so it is hardly that far off beam.
Hearts or Four Spades with the king of that major Rigal: 4NT. No reason to go mad here; we’ve shown
and NO key cards for clubs? It’s a very delicate issue. a good hand already, now we can show a very good
Andrew too thinks Six Diamonds is a possibility. hand and hope partner can make a sensible decision.
Robson: Four Clubs. But I think Six Diamonds is Wolff: 4NT. An overbid but ten tricks should be
our likely spot and if partner now bids Four Dia- reasonably safe and partner may have enough to
monds I think I’ll pot Six Diamonds. make slam, should he accept my invitation. A heart
Note the difference in evaluation between the pan- lead should make more offensive tricks likely.
elists above and the passers. And completing a remarkable seven solo bids on
Iain thinks even more strongly about diamonds: this set is Phillip(not all seven by Phillip I hasten to
Sime: Four Clubs. Actually I have a leaning for add) who opts for:
Four Diamonds as partner has bid that suit three Alder: Five Diamonds. I do not expect much sup-
times, bypassing the chance to bid 2NT. However, port on the panel (an accurate prediction – none
I might catch the club jack or two low. And Four at all), but I think partner ought to have seven
Clubs is the cheapest sensible bid. diamonds. With 2-3-6-2 and a heart stopper, he
Green: Four Clubs. I want to show a strong six card would surely have bid 2NT over Two Spades. I
suit and see if partner can cue-bid. I don’t think picture partner with something like ♠Qx ♥QJx
I’m setting clubs as trumps, I could have bid Four ♦KQJ10xxx ♣x. Then 3NT is distinctly iffy, but
Clubs over Two Diamonds with that. Five Diamonds could come home. As a postscript,
For a man with no history of Acol I am always I realised back in 1984 or ‘85 that the Acol start
impressed by Eric’s insights in the methods: akin to 1♦-2♣-2♦ being non-forcing was crazy. I
Kokish: Four Clubs. No guarantees, but as East has started treating a two-over-one response as forcing
a heart honour or two and might well have some to 2NT. It had a huge number of advantages and I
help in spades, it’s too pessimistic to give up with- was struggling to find any disadvantages. Trying to
out saying something more about this club suit. If stop on a Two Diamond pinhead is just wrong. I
there is no slam, 4NT or Five Clubs will usually be highly recommend that the readers adopt my idea!
acceptable contracts. In a system in which Two Dia- I think that is the fourth or fifth bit of theory we
monds is not forcing, it’s often difficult for opener have had this set so I hope you have learnt yourself some-
to find a palatable rebid with moderate diamonds thing. This time partner had a super maximum for the
and an unbalanced hand lacking a four-card minor, bidding – ♠Qx ♥Kxx ♦AKJ10xxx ♣x – though it is
so Two Diamonds needn’t be ALL diamonds and hard to see what else he could have bid when (he isn’t
an Acol-influenced 10-count. close to Three Diamonds over Two Clubs IMHO). As
Smith: Four Clubs. It just seems too early to give up you can see Six Diamonds is superb as several panelists
yet, when I need relatively little to make slam. Hope- mentioned it might be. At the table the two contracts
fully 4NT will be safe. I do wonder why Two Spades were 3NT and 6NT. The later rolled home happily
is suddenly game-forcing in BMS, since classically it when the diamonds came in for seven tricks.
is only a one round force (because (a) these days even In another low scoring month (maybe I am just
most diehard Acol players think Two Spades is FG and getting grumpier in the marking!) Alon Apteker and
(b) I thought there would be a riot if I told the panel Neil Rosen share the podium on 78 with David Bird
that not only was Two Diamonds non-forcing but that and Sartaj Hans third on 75. Finally comment of the
Two Spades wasn’t FG either so we could Pass partner’s month is awarded to Marc Smith for his gloriously
2NT, Three Club or Three Diamond bids. I didn’t want ratty comments towards the conductor on problems 1
and 2 combined.

 Intermediate
SET 288 – THE PANEL’S BIDS & MARKS
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total
Alon Apteker South Africa 4♣ 5♣ 3♠ 2NT 4♦ Pass 4♣ Pass 78
Neil Rosen England Dble 4♣ 3♠ 2NT 4♦ Pass 4♣ 4♣ 78
David Bird England Dble 5♣ 3♠ 2NT 5♣ Pass 4♣ Pass 75
Sartaj Hans Australia 4♥ 4♣ 3♠ 1NT 4♦ Pass 3♦ Pass 75
Eric Kokish Canada 4♦ 4♣ Pass 1NT 4♦ 3NT 4♣ 4♣ 74
Barry Rigal USA Dble 4♣ 3♠ 2NT 4♦ Pass 3♥ 4NT 74
Joey Silver Canada 4♣ 4♣ 3♠ 2♣ 4♦ 2NT 4♣ Pass 74
Iain Sime Scotland 4♣ 4♣ 3♦ 2NT 4♦ Pass 3♥ 4♣ 74
Adam Zmudzinski Poland Dble 4♣ 3♠ 1NT 4♠ Pass 4♣ Pass 74
Eric Greco USA Dble 5♣ 3♠ 1NT 5♣ 3NT 4♣ Pass 73
Marc Smith England 4♣ 4NT 3♠ 2NT 4♦ Pass 3♦ 4♣ 73
Sally Brock England 4♥ 4♣ Pass 1NT 4♦ 3NT 3♥ 4♣ 72
John Matheson Scotland Dble 5♣ 3♦ 1NT 4♦ 3NT 4♣ Pass 72
Tadashi Teramoto Japan Dble 4♣ 4♠ 2♥ 4♦ 2NT 4♣ Pass 72
Ben Green England 4♣ 4♣ Pass 2NT 4NT 2NT 3♦ 4♣ 71
Paul Bowyer England 4♣ 5♣ 3♠ 2♠ 4♦ 2♠ 3♥ Pass 70
Drew Cannell Canada 4♣ 4♠ 3♠ 2♠ 4♦ 3NT 3♥ Pass 70
John Carruthers Canada 4♣ 4♣ 3♠ 2♠ 4♠ 4NT 4♣ 4♣ 70
Mike Lawrence USA Dble 4♣ 4♠ 1NT Pass 3NT 4♣ 4♣ 70
Andrew Robson England 4♣ 4♣ 3♠ 2♥ 5♣ 2♠ 3♦ 4♣ 69
Bobby Wolff USA 4♦ 4♣ 4♠ 1NT 4♦ 3NT 3♥ 4NT 69
Phillip Alder USA 4♣ 5♣ 4♠ 2NT 5♣ 2NT 4♣ 5♦ 68
Enri Leufkens Netherlands Dble 6♣ 3♠ 2NT 4NT 3♦ 3♦ Pass 68
new honors books from

Master Point Press the bridge publisher
52 Bridge Mistakes to Avoid Enhanced Precision: Sixpack: Adventures with

Fourth edition Keycards and Queecards
David Bird
Ron Beall Allan DeSerpa
AVAILABLE FROM CHESS & BRIDGE

DISCUSS
DISCUSSTODAY’S
TODAY’SBRIDGE
BRIDGEISSUES
ISSUESON
ONWWW.BRIDGEBLOGGING.COM
WWW.BRIDGEBLOGGING.COM




Bidding Competition – Set 289

Open to all – Free Entry
PROBLEM 1 Basic System

IMPs. Dealer South. None Vul. Natural, 4-card majors with a major bid before a minor (clubs before
♠ Q6 West North East South diamonds and hearts before spades), limit raises in uncontested
♥ A 10 6 4 — — — 1♦ auctions, weak no-trump, weak 2, 2 and 2 (5–9, 6-card suit) with
♦ A98 Dble 2♦ 4♠ Pass a 2NT relay asking for a high-card feature.
♣ AKQ7 ? No-trump bidding: After 1NT 12–14, 2 = Stayman, 2/2 =
transfers, 2 = a raise to 2NT or a balanced slam try, 2NT = minor-
PROBLEM 2 suit sign-off or slam try with both minors (continue with major-suit
IMPs. Dealer South. None Vul. shortage).
1NT rebid = 15–17 with a 2 enquiry encompassing all forcing
♠ AJ853 West North East South sequences. Jump 2NT rebid = 18–19. Non-jump 2NT rebid = game-
♥ K43 — — — 1♠ forcing. 3NT rebid = running suit.
♦ KJ Pass 1NT Dble* 2♥ After 2NT, 20-22, 3 = Stayman, 3/3 = transfers, 3 = slam try
♣ 865 ? with both minors.
Dble takeout of spades Initial response: Jump shifts are either single-suited or two-suited
with opener’s suit.
PROBLEM 3 Baron 2NT (16+) after 1/1. 2NT after 1/1 = game-forcing with
IMPs. Dealer East. None Vul. 4+ card support (simple continuations natural, jumps splinters).
♠ A Q 10 9 8 4 West North East South Continuations: Reverses are forcing for one round after a 1-level
♥ — — — 1♥ Pass response (preference to the first suit and 2NT are the only non-forcing
♦ Q764 1♠ Pass 2♦ Pass continuations, rebid of responder’s suit is 1-round force, game-forcing
♣ 874 ? otherwise). All high reverses are game-forcing. Change of suit forcing
for one round after a 2-level response. Jumps when a bid of the
PROBLEM 4 suit one level lower is forcing are splinters, as are 4-level responses
IMPs. Dealer North. All Vul. in a lower-ranking suit to 1/1. 4th suit = game-forcing. When
responder’s suit is raised a return to opener’s suit is forcing.
♠ K83 West North East South Slam bidding: Roman Keycard Blackwood. Gerber (only immediately
♥ J7 — 1♠ 2♠* 3♠ * after 1NT and 2NT). Cue-bids are generally first-round ahead of
♦ K92 Pass Pass Dble* Pass second.
♣ Q9754 ? Competition: Responsive and competitive Doubles through 3,
2♠ Michaels. ♥s and a minor, at least 5-5 negative Doubles through 3 – after that Doubles are value showing,
3♠ Pre-emptive not penalties.
Dble Extras Cue-bids in competitive auctions show value raises in partner’s suit
whilst raises are pre-emptive. Fit-jumps after opponents overcall or
PROBLEM 5 takeout Double. Double jumps are splinter.
Pairs. Dealer South. E/W Vul. Lebensohl applies after interference over our 1NT (through
♠ Q72 West North East South 2NT shows a stopper).
♥ A5 — — — 3NT* Overcalls: In response to an overcall: UCB = 3 trumps, jumps = fit
♦ KQ8753 Pass 4♣* Dble Pass* jumps, jump cue = 4-card raise, change of suit = constructive, non-
♣ 95 ? forcing.
Weak jump overcalls, intermediate in 4th. Michaels cue-bids.
3NT Gambling. Solid minor, no more than a queen outside.
4♣
Defences: Against all pre-empts, takeout Doubles.
Pass or correct
Over their 1NT, 2 = majors, 2NT = minors or game-forcing 2-suiter.
Pass Clubs
Over a strong 1, natural, Double = majors, 1NT = minors, Pass then
PROBLEM 6 bid is strong.
Send stamped addressed envelope to Chess & Bridge Ltd for WBF style
Pairs. Dealer North. None Vul. Convention Card
♠ Q 10 9 6 2 West North East South
♥ Q 10 5 3 — 1♦ 2♣ Dble How to enter
♦ A64 Pass 2♦ Pass Pass
♣ 5 ? Send your chosen bid in each of the eight sequences opposite,
preferably by email, to John Carruthers at: marksandcomments@
PROBLEM 7 sympatico.ca. Alternatively, you can enter by post, to: John Carruthers,
1322 Patricia Blvd., Kingsville ON N9Y 2R4, Canada. Entries must
IMPs. Dealer East. All Vul.
be received by the 28th February. Include your name, address and
♠ AQ52 West North East South telephone number. Please quote the month, competition and value of
♥ AK — — 1♥ Pass your prize when ordering Master Point Press books.
♦ 6 2♣ Pass 2♥* Pass
♣ J86532 2♠ Pass 3♥ Pass
? PRIZES
2♥ Not forcing in BM standard
1st £50 Master Point Press books
PROBLEM 8 2nd £25 Master Point Press books
Pairs. Dealer South. None Vul..
3rd £15 Master Point Press books
♠ A852 West North East South
♥ 4 — — — 1NT* 4th £10 Master Point Press books
♦ A J 10 Pass 2♣ * 2♥ Pass
♣ K 10 7 6 3 ? Grand Prix
1NT 12-14 In addition there is an annual Grand Prix with Master Point Press
2♣ Stayman prizes of £100, £50 and £35. Only scores of 50 and over will count
and the maximum score is 400. Each contestant’s Grand Prix total is
their five best scores over the year (January–December).


WEST Bid these hands with those on the following
Hands for the page with your favourite partner; then turn to
February 2015 Partnership Profile Partnership Bidding inside to see how your score
compares to that of the experts
Hand 1. Dealer West. Both Vul. Hand 5. Dealer South. None Vul.
♠ 10 6 4 ♠ A Q J 8 7 23
♥ A 10 9 7 6 ♥ 943
♦ K ♦ K74
♣ K985 ♣ A
Hand 2. Dealer East. None Vul. Hand 6. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
♠ AK ♠ 32
♥ K9 ♥ 52
♦ K J 10 7 4 3 ♦ A J 10 46
♣ AK7 ♣ A K J 10 6
If East passes South opens 3♥. If East opens 1♠ South bids North opens 1NT (12-14)
2♠ (♥+♦/♣)
♠ A 10 7 6 4
♠ AKQ8762 ♥ K8764
♥ — ♦ 4
♦ 10 ♣ 43
♣ AQJ95 If East opens 1♦ South overcalls 2♣ and North raises to 3♣.
Hand 4. Dealer North. None Vul.
Hand 8. Dealer West. None Vul.
♠ A K 10 4
♥ AK854 ♠ 72
♦ — ♥ K J 10 7
♣ AQJ2 ♦ Q 10 9 4 3
♣ 74
North opens 3♦.
BIDDING COMPETITION Why not enter a bridge hand or bidding problem of your
own for use in BRIDGE Magazine?
SET 289
♠
(for the February Competition) ♥
♦
My answers are (the Adjudicator) ♣
1. ♠ ♠
♥ ♥
2. ♦ ♦
3.
♣ ♣
♠
4. ♥
♦
5. ♣
6.
WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH
7.
8.
Total marks:
Email to marksandcomments@sympatico.ca
or post to: Bidding Competition (288),
John Carruthers, 1322 Patricia Blvd.
Kingsville ON N9Y 2R4, Canada
Name: ___________________________ (please print)
Address:
Telephone: ___________________________________
Entries must be received by

28th February 2015.


EAST Bid these hands with those on the previous
Hands for the page with your favourite partner; then turn to
February 2015 Partnership Profile Partnership Bidding inside to see how your score
compares to that of the experts
Hand 1. Dealer West. Both Vul. Hand 5. Dealer South. None Vul.
♠ AQ985 ♠ 3
♥ Q ♥ A K Q J 10 6 5
♦ J 10 9 8 5 4 ♦ 8
♣ Q ♣ QJ72
Hand 2. Dealer East. None Vul. Hand 6. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
♠ J9642 ♠ KQJ764
♥ AQ2 ♥ AQ9
♦ A2 ♦ 76
♣ 10 8 2 ♣ 74
If East passes South opens 3♥. If East opens 1♠ South bids North opens 1NT (12-14)
2♠ (♥+♦/♣)
♠ K932
♠ 93 ♥ AJ93
♥ A9864 ♦ AQ975
♦ A94 ♣ —
♣ K87 If East opens 1♦ South overcalls 2♣ and North raises to 3♣.
Hand 4. Dealer North. None Vul. Hand 8. Dealer West. None Vul.
♠ 98 ♠ A K 10 9 8
♥ QJ3 ♥ A
♦ K 10 3 ♦ A87
♣ K7654 ♣ AK86
North opens 3♦.
BIDDING COMPETITION
Set 287 Top Scores Other Good Scores: Competition: New Year
Prize winners should quote the month, 77 Phil Callow, Graham Johnson Reminders
competition and value of their prize when 76 Simon Hill, Axel Johannsson, George The new year seems to be a good time for
placing an order for Master Point Press Willett a few reminders.
books. Prize winners can refer to the list of – It is up to the entrant to know the
75 Peter Hawkes, Mike Ralph, Olga
MPP titles on the inside back cover of the system; we accept your first bid, no
current issue of Bridge Magazine. Shadyro alternatives “in case that’s not the system”.
This was an unfortunate start to the 2015 74 Malcolm Copley, Keith Lawler, Derek – Insufficient bids will be made sufficient.
Grand Prix - two problems (4 & 8) with Markham, Ray Stubbs – Other illegal bids score zero.
only 12 cards and #7 with a layout issue. 73 Chris Bickerdike, Nigel Guthrie, Neil – Only one entry per subscription is
All answers to problems 4 & 8 have been Macdonald, Norman Massey, allowed for prize purposes.
assigned 10. It appears that you all sorted Tony Poole, Brian Spears, Ryan – You may change a bid as long as it is
problem 7 so it has been scored. Our before the deadline.
Stephenson
editor assures us this will be avoided in Please review your bids prior to sending
future and we hope he is right! 72 Peter Barker, James Dunlop, Tugrul
them! They are not looked at until time
Congratulations to Michael Kaye starting Kaban, Frank Turton to score when it is too late to correct an
off with an excellent 79, winning ₤50 71 David Barnes, Jeff Callaghan, Bill obvious error.
worth of Master Point Press books from Gordon Only your top five scores are included in
Chess and Bridge. Tied on 78 are Meic 70 Harald Bletz, Andrew King, Nick the Grand Prix total. Reporting on the
Goodyear, Stuart Nelson, Pyers Pennant Simms grand Prix standings will be published
and Mike Perkins. The random draw when Set 289 is scored.
awarded ₤25 worth to Meic, ₤15 worth to Thank you to the readers who submit
Stuart and ₤10 worth to Pyers. problems. We may not be able to use
them all but please keep them coming.

MasterPoint Press October 2014_Layout 1 08/10/2014 15:56 Page 1
BOOKS FROM MASTER POINT PRESS

Master Point Press are the world’s leading bridge book publisher and winner of many bridge publishing awards. A list of Masterpoint
titles can be found below - for full details on each of these titles please visit www.bridgeshop.com. Recent releases are highlighted in
bold. Please note, winners of the Bidding Competition do not get the 10% Subscriber discount when redeeming their prize
VOUCHERS and a deduction will also be made to cover the cost of postage. For further details please call 020 7288 1305
Deadly Endplay (fiction) Allen, Ken £12.95 Complete Book Takeout Doubles (2nd ed.) Lawrence, Mike £15.95
Shades of Grey (fiction) Allen, Ken £11.95 Falsecards (New Edition) Lawrence, Mike £14.95
I Love This Game Auken, Sabine £12.50 Encyclopedia of Card Play Techniques Levé, Guy £21.95
25 Bridge Myths Exposed Bird, David £10.50 Bridge Squeezes Complete Love, Clyde. E £14.95
Bridge Endplays for Everyone Bird, David £12.95 Bridge, Probability and Information MacKinnon, Robert F. £12.95
Bridge Squeezes for Everyone Bird, David £11.95 Win the Bermuda Bowl with Me Meckstroth & Smith £11.50
Clever Plays in the Trump Suit Bird, David £12.95 The Setting Trick McCance, Ian £11.95
Defensive Signaling at Bridge Bird, David £11.95 Competitive Bidding in the 21st Century Miles, Marshall £11.50
Off-Road Declarer Play Bird, David £11.95 Inferences at Bridge Miles, Marshall £11.50
Somehow We Landed in 6NT Bird, David £12.95 It's Your Call Miles, Marshall £12.95
Winning Notrump Leads Bird & Anthias £10.95 Modern Constructive Bidding Miles, Marshall £11.95
Winning Suit Contract Leads Bird & Anthias £10.95 My System: The Unbalanced Diamond Miles, Marshall £11.95
Leading Questions in Bridge Brock, Sally £11.95 Bridge in the Menagerie Mollo, Victor £13.95
Bridge at the Edge Brogeland, Boye & Bird, David £13.95 Card Play Technique Mollo & Gardener £14.95
Bridge Crosswords Chen, Jeff £7.95 Diamonds are the Hog’s Best Friend Mollo, Victor £13.95
Following the Law Cohen, Larry £9.95 Swings and Arrows Mollo, Victor £13.95
Larry Cohen's Bidding Challenge Cohen, Larry £9.95 The Hog Takes to Precision Mollo, Victor £11.95
To Bid or Not To Bid Cohen, Larry £11.50 Kickback: Slam Bidding at Bridge Munger, Robert £7.95
Death in Duplicate Coplea, Carole £13.95 First Book of Play Problems O’Connor, Patrick £10.95
Standard Bidding with SAYC Downey, Ned & Ellen Pomer £11.95 Second Book of Play Problems O’Connor, Patrick £10.95
Bridge with Bells and Whistles Dufresne, MA & Ellingsen, M £11.95 Bridge Behind Bars (fiction) Pottage & Smith £12.95
A Modern Approach to Two-Over-One Eichenbaum, Ken £8.95 Clues from the Bidding Pottage, Julian £10.95
Winners, Losers and Cover Cards Eichenbaum, Ken £8.95 Defend These Hands with Me Pottage, Julian £11.50
Can You Win The USBC Team Trials Felmy, Matthias £13.95 Play or Defend? Pottage, Julian £8.95
I Shot My Bridge Partner (fiction) Granovetter, Matthew £9.50 Defend or Declare? Pottage, Julian £11.95
Murder at the Bridge Table (fiction) Granovetter, Matthew £9.50 Deadly Hold-Up Priebe, Jim £11.95
Bridge Conventions in Depth Granovetter & Granovetter £13.95 Double Elimination: A Bridge Mystery Priebe, Jim £11.95
Bridge Master Vs Bridge Amateur Horton, Mark £11.95 Matchpoint Defense Priebe, Jim £11.95
Misplay These Hands with Me Horton, Mark £11.95 Takeout Double: A Bridge Mystery Priebe, Jim £11.50
The Hands of Time Horton, Mark £10.50 Thinking on Defense Priebe, Jim £9.95
The Mysterious Multi Horton, Mark £12.95 Positive Declarer Play in Bridge Reese & Pottage £10.50
Duplicate Bridge at Home Horton & Gittelman £12.95 Positive Defense in Bridge Reese & Pottage £10.50
The Bridge Magicians Horton & Kielbasinski £11.50 The Extra Edge in Play Reese & Pottage £10.95
For Love or Money Horton & Senior £12.95 Modified Italian Canapé System Rexford, Ken £8.95
The Rabbi’s Rules Horton, Mark £12.95 New Frontiers for Strong Forcing Openings Rexford, Ken £8.95
Building a Bidding System Hughes, Roy £11.50 Overcalling Opponent's 1NT Rexford, Ken £6.95
Canada’s Bridge Warriors Hughes, Roy £15.95 Really Unusual Notrump (R.U.N.T.) Rexford, Ken £7.95
Card by Card Hughes, Roy £11.50 Variable Key Card Blackwood Rexford, Ken £8.95
Fantunes Revealed Jacobs, Bill £9.95 Breaking the Bridge Rules Rigal, Barry £12.95
One Trick at a TIme Jackson, Jim £11.95 Rodwell Files: Secrets of a champion Rodwell, Eric £17.95
Polish Club International Jassem,Krzysztof £10.95 How Good is Your Bridge Roth, Danny £11.95
Patrick Jourdain’s Problem Corner Jourdain, Patrick £12.95 Bridge on a Shoestring Schoenborn, Michael £13.95
Advanced Bridge Defense Kantar, Eddie £13.95 25 Bridge Conventions You Should Know Seagram & Smith £10.50
Classic Kantar Kantar, Eddie £9.50 25 More Conventions You Should Know Seagram & Bird £10.50
Defensive Tips for Bad Card Holders Kantar, Eddie £14.95 25 Ways to Be a Better Defender Seagram & Bird £10.50
Kantar on Kontract Kantar, Eddie £10.50 25 Ways to Compete in the Bidding Seagram & Smith £10.50
Modern Bridge Defense Kantar, Eddie £13.95 25 Ways to Take More Tricks as Declarer Seagram & Bird £10.50
Roman Keycard Blackwood - 5th ed. Kantar, Eddie £13.95 Declarer Play at Bridge: A Quizbook Seagram & Bird £9.95
Topics in Declarer Play Kantar, Eddie £13.95 Defensive Play Quizbook: A Quizbook Seagram & Bird £9.95
Improve Your Bidding Judgment Kimelman, Neil £12.95 Planning the Play of a Bridge Hand Seagram & Bird £12.95
The Thin Line Kimelman, Neil £12.95 Pocket Guide to Defensive Play Seagram & Bird £6.95
365 Winning Bridge Tips Kleinman, Danny £13.95 Scotland’s Senior Moment Smith & Adamson £13.95
Human Bridge Errors Kleinman & Straguzzi £10.50 Becoming a Bridge Expert Stewart, Frank £13.95
A Bridge to Inspired Declarer Play Laderman, Julian £12.95 Frank Stewart's Bridge Club Stewart, Frank £10.50
A Bridge to Simple Squeezes Laderman, Julian £11.95 How to Play Bridge with your Spouse Tevkolsky, Roselyn £9.95
Bumblepuppy Days Laderman, Julian £14.95 Bridge at the Breakfast Table Thurston, Paul £1.50
Still Not Finding Squeezes? Laderman, Julian £7.95 25 Steps to Learning 2/1 Thurston, Paul £10.50
25 Conventions for ACOL Players Landry & Horton £11.95 North of the Master Solvers’ Club Vine, Frank £11.95
Complete Book on Overcalls (2nd ed.) Lawrence, Mike £13.95 Bridge at the Enigma Club Winkler, Peter £11.95
Complete Book on Passed Hand Bidding Lawrence, Mike £13.95 The Lone Wolff Wollf, Bobby £15.95

Bridge Magazine 2015.02

Загружено:

Сведения о документе

Авторское право

Доступные форматы

Поделиться этим документом

Поделиться или встроить документ

Параметры публикации

Этот документ был вам полезен?

Это неприемлемый материал?

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

Bridge Magazine 2015.02

Загружено:

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы



new books from

Winning Duplicate Tactics

Bidding at Bridge: A Quizbook

Bidding at Bridge: A Quizbook gives the near-beginner a chance to practice

Imaginative Cardplay and Accurate Cardplay

Imaginative Cardplay includes: Master the Odds

Accurate Cardplay includes: Safety Plays in

2 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

Read Mark Learn

3 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

4 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

5 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

6 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

7 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

8 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

9 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

10 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

11 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

12 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

13 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

Tomorrow is Another Day

14 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

15 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

The Day after Tomorrow

16 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

17 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

18 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

19 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

20 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

Dodging the Bullet

21 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

22 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

23 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

24 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

25 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

26 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

27 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

28 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

29 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

30 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

31 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

32 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

33 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

Board 9. Dealer North. E/W Vul.

That simple auction gave Monaco 13 IMPs.

34 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

35 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

36 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

37 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

38 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

Preemptive style is a partnership matter.

39 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

40 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

41 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

42 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

43 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

44 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

45 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

46 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

47 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

48 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

49 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine

50 February 2015 BRIDGE Magazine